Sandrock was no more
by Weissangel24
Summary: Someone is out to destroy lives (completed)
1. Sandrock was no more

Sandrock was no more  
  
By Weissangel24  
07/08/03  
  
The boring legal stuff:  
  
Warning: This fic contains violence, mild language, light Ooc, bashing of  
the G-Girls and Shounen-ai. I rate it PG 13.  
If such things bother you either don't read it or keep comments to  
yourself.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or any of the characters. This fic was  
written purely for enjoyment at the cost of my brain cells. I'm not  
getting rich off of this, so please don't sue me. I don't own anything  
anyway, so it'd be pretty useless.  
  
I do, however, own Robin, The Doctor and Eli. If you want to use them ask  
first.  
  
Comments and Criticisms are welcomed, but please don't be nasty about them.  
This is the first fic I have ever finished.  
  
I am the self nominated Queen of Sap.  
  
You have been warned.  
  
^-^  
  
I want to thank Sailorcelestial for all of her help with this story.  
::huggles:: You're the best!  
  
Timeline: AU. This story begins one year after Endless Waltz, in AC 197, and spans an entire year, ending in AC 198. The Scientists survived Libra and the Gundams were not destroyed. Everything else happened according to  
the Series and OAV.  
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Prologue  
  
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His entire body ached. It was dark. Frightfully dark. He tried to open his eyes, but something was holding them shut. Hesitantly, the boy raised his hands to feel the restraints. 'They feel like bandages.' He thought to himself, forcing himself to sit up, 'What happened? Where am I?'  
  
"Oh good, you're awake." A light hearted voice said, "We were worried about you. It's very fortunate that they found you when they did, or else, you might not have made it."  
  
"I'm in a hospital?" The boy asked confused. "For how long?"  
  
"Yes, for several weeks, I'm afraid." The voice said, "You've been in a coma for the entire time." The boy gasped with disbelief. "You're going to be just fine, though." The voice consoled, "Are you up to answering a few questions?"  
  
"I.I guess so." Uncertainty dripped from him.  
  
"Great, what's your name? You didn't have any ID on you when you were found?"  
  
"My name?" The boy echoed. 'What is my name?' His head started to hurt as he tried to remember. "I.I don't know." there was panic in his voice, and his entire body began to shake, "I. I don't know. I . I can't remember."  
  
"Easy! Calm down!" There were gentle hands pushing him back into a lying position. "It's okay, you're just a little disoriented." The voice soothed. "How old are you?" The boy shook his head, "Where do you live?" The boy's lip quivered, "Where is your family?"  
  
"I don't know!" He screamed, grabbing at his head, sobbing. "I don't know."  
  
"What's the last thing you do remember?"  
  
The boy thought, hugging himself tightly. Tears streamed down his cheeks. ".a kiss." He whispered, his fingers lightly brushed his lips, "A soft, loving kiss."  
  
"Alright, I'll go and find a doctor." The voice whispered, as a gentle hand ran through his blonde bangs. "They'll be here in a few minutes. Just relax and rest. We'll figure this out."  
  
"Thank you." The boy whispered, a small smile on his face, "You're very kind."  
  
"Don't mention it." The voice said, "It's what I do."  
  
"Who are you? What's your name?"  
  
"My name?" The voice smiled, "My name is Robin."  
  
"Robin." the boy echoed, settling back against the pillows that were behind him, "Thank you, Robin."  
  
"You're welcome, now get some rest." She tucked him in and exited the room.  
  
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"Ohayo goziamasu," the chipper young voice greeted, "And how is my favorite blonde today?"  
  
"Better, thank you." The boy said in a quiet voice. "What is that fragrance?" he asked as he inhaled gently.  
  
"Depends, what does it smell like?" Robin giggled.  
  
"Like morning after a summer storm, with flowers that are just blooming." The boy described, "Like lilies and roses."  
  
"That would be my perfume." Robin said. "If you said that it wreaked of dead fish and fungus that would have been your breakfast."  
  
"It's lovely." The boy smiled.  
  
"I guess so. If you like dead fish and fungus."  
  
"I meant your perfume." The boy chuckled.  
  
"Oh, well I'm glad." Robin laughed lightly, "Thank you."  
  
"So what is for breakfast?"  
  
"Runny eggs, burnt toast and oatmeal that you can't get the spoon out of." She frowned with distaste as she lifted the spoon from the said oatmeal and preceded to pick up the entire thing in one clump. "It's really nasty."  
  
"I guess what they say about hospital food is true then." He laughed.  
  
"Maybe, which is why I'm not about to let you eat it." Robin said taking the tray to the trash. "Instead, I thought you would like some Pancakes, sausage and hash browns." She said placing a bag in his hands. "Sorry, I didn't bring any syrup or ketchup."  
  
"That's alright. It smells delicious." The boy said breathing deep the aroma of the breakfast.  
  
"That's good. Well enjoy."  
  
"Wait, would you care to join me?" The boy reached for her hand.  
  
Robin smiled and took his hand, "Thanks for the offer, kid, but I'll get yelled at if I don't finish these deliveries. I'll check back when I'm done, though, if you would like."  
  
"I would, thank you."  
  
Robin squeezed his hand and left the room, allowing the boy to enjoy his pancakes.  
  
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"Well, you've seemed to have fully recovered." The doctor was saying as he removed the boy's bandages a few weeks after he had woken up. "Unfortunately, The damage to your sight is worse than previously thought. In a few months, we could try to correct the damage, through surgical options; however, the surgeries will be expensive and might not work."  
  
"So what you're saying is that I'm blind." The boy said a note of sorrow in his voice. "And what of my memory?"  
  
The doctor sighed, "Well, you are technically blind, but there's no saying on whether or not it's permanent. And as for your memory." He sighed again, "It seems to be a partial amnesia. You recall different things. However."  
  
"What I remember doesn't do me a whole lot of good." The boy sighed, "I just wish that I could take all of the pieces and make a whole picture."  
  
"I'm sure it'll come in time. A sound, smell or texture might jog your memories." The doctor placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. The boy smiled faintly and patted the hand. "I'll be back in a few hours to check on you again."  
  
"Yes, sir." The boy nodded. "And sir, thank you for everything."  
  
"My pleasure, Mathew." The doctor smiled exiting the room.  
  
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"Um, Doctor." Robin asked stepping up behind the tall, burly man, "I was wondering what will happen to Mathew? In only a few days, he'll be released from here, and he has no place to go."  
  
The doctor paused and looked at the short auburn hair nurse as she watched him expectedly. "To be honest, I'm not quite sure, Robin." He rubbed tired eyes. "The police still haven't found a missing person's report fitting his description, and the boy can't even remember his own name."  
  
"You would think that a boy with looks and a personality such as his would be missed." The girl brushed her auburn hair out of her dark blue eyes. "And the name, Mathew doesn't really suit him at all. It's too plain."  
  
"I think so too, but it's the name he chose to be referred to as." The doctor's face became serious, "He's too old for an orphanage, but he's too young to live on his own. Besides, with him still adjusting to his loss of sight, I wouldn't want him to be by himself."  
  
"He could stay with me." Robin said quietly, "I live in a two bedroom apartment on the first floor. It's a good neighborhood."  
  
"He does seem to trust you." The doctor pondered, "And it does beat the alternatives." Robin looked up with hopeful eyes, "If you're positive you want to do this, I suppose it'd be up to him."  
  
The girl sighed with relief, "Thank you, Doctor." She turned and went into Mathew's room with her idea.  
  
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Mathew stood in front of a large apartment building. With one hand he grasped a guiding stick that blind people sometimes used. In the other hand, he held tightly to Robin's smaller hand.  
  
"It'll be alright, Mathew." She gave him a reassuring squeeze.  
  
"Could you describe it to me?" He asked quietly.  
  
Robin smiled, "It's a tall building, 7 stories. It has a balcony for every floor. In front are some white and red rose bushes. The building itself is a jade green."  
  
"A jade green." Mathew's voice was wistful, "I think green is one of my favorite colors." He said softly.  
  
"Welcome to your new home, Mathew." Robin said guiding him in.  
  
"I can't thank you enough for what you're doing for me." The boy whispered.  
  
"It's my pleasure, Mathew." Robin smiled, "You're welcome to stay here for as long as you need, or want."  
  
The boy had tears in his eyes. He hoped that the dark sunglasses that he wore would be enough to hide them, but they fell without permission.  
  
"Oh, Mathew, what's the matter?" Robin gasped wiping his tears away and sitting him down on her couch.  
"I'm not sure, it's foolish I guess." He sobbed. "I'm just so grateful for your kindness, but I'm also frustrated that I can't remember who I am."  
  
"Mathew, your memory will come in time." Robin soothed, brushing back his blonde strands, "But right now, I think you need to rest. I'm sure that this has all been overwhelming. I know that if it were me in your situation, I would be a complete wreck." She laughed lightly. "Would you like some tea?"  
  
"Yes please, if it isn't too much trouble."  
  
"No trouble at all, Mathew." She smiled, getting up.  
  
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To be continued. 


	2. Sandrock was no more Chapter one

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Chapter one  
  
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Quatre sat in the cockpit of his Gundam, Sandrock. He was making last minute adjustments before his mission departure. It had been a while since his last mission, and he had a feeling that his koi had something to do with that. The blonde's bright aquamarine eyes softened at the thought of his koi. A small smile graced his lips. Trowa could be very overprotective, and Quatre could understand why. The blonde found that between his company, Winner Enterprises, to his position as a colony representative, he tended to be worn down, and his health tended to suffer for it.  
  
The blonde took in a sharp breath. Trowa was coming and he was pissed. Not that Quatre blamed him. he was technically going behind his back. He sighed again. Sometimes being an empath was both a curse as well as a blessing.  
  
"Quatre! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" The brunette yelled up from Sandrock's feet.  
  
Quatre grimaced as the depth of Trowa's anger bombarded him, causing a headache to arise and a slight pain in his chest. It always seemed to hurt more and faster when Trowa's was the negative emotions he was sensing. Hesitantly, he climbed out of the cockpit and stood on the hatch door looking down at Trowa.  
  
"Um." He started as Trowa road the cable up to meet him, "Hi, Trowa."  
  
"Don't 'Hi, Trowa' me!" The taller boy snapped stepping onto the hatch next to Quatre. "What do you think you're doing?"  
  
"I have a mission." Quatre said softly avoiding the other's accusing gaze. Trowa was usually a calm person who didn't let his emotions show, so he was extremely P.O.ed to let go of his stoic façade. The blonde felt guilty for being the cause of that anger.  
  
"Since when!?!" He demanded, "I thought you had been taken off active field duty."  
  
"I never actually signed off on that, Trowa." The smaller boy admitted.  
  
"What?" Trowa was stunned, "But I. I thought."  
  
"You had asked me about it, asked me to think about it, but I never signed the form."  
  
"So what? You've been going on missions behind my back?"  
  
"No!" Quatre almost shouted, "No, this is my first mission in months. Trowa." The aquamarine eyes locked with the other's stern green, "Please, Trowa," He pleaded, "Please don't be angry."  
  
"What about your responsibilities as the colony representative? You're supposed to meet Relena in three days." "It's a routine mission. I should be back later tonight or tomorrow morning."  
  
"If it's so routine then let someone else go." Trowa demanded, "Hiiro or Wu Fei?"  
  
The blonde shook his head, "They both have assignments already and Duo's on vacation."  
  
"Then me! I'll go!"  
  
"Trowa, what's the difference if it's you or me? Either way, one of us will worry about the other." Quatre asked gently, his hand resting on Trowa's arm.  
  
"At least it wouldn't be you out there." Trowa whispered, his voice choked with emotion he wasn't used to showing. His hand cupped the other's face in a gentle touch.  
  
"Trowa." The boy sighed, his eyes sad, "being a Gundam pilot is as much of who I am as being the Winner heir or the colony representative is. I'm just as trained as you or Hiiro are and I can handle myself."  
  
"But."  
  
"I'm stronger than you give me credit for, Trowa." Quatre interrupted a bit harsher than he meant to, "I'm going."  
  
"At least let me back you up!!!?"  
  
"No." Quatre declined firmly, "I'm sorry, I have to go alone." And he turned to climb into the cockpit. He paused when Trowa grabbed his wrist and spun him into facing the taller boy. "Trowa."Quatre began, his voice and eyes begging him to let go.  
  
"Quatre," the boy pulled him close so that the blonde's head rested on his chest. He held him in a strong yet gentle embrace that pinned Quatre's arms to his side.  
  
"Trowa?" His voice was shaking.  
  
"Quatre, I'm sorry." Trowa whispered into the blonde's ear.  
  
"Trowa."  
  
"I know that you're as well trained and perfectly capable of taking care of yourself, as much as anyone of us. I know you're strong. I think you're stronger than anyone else. I'm sorry, Quatre." Trowa held him tighter, as if he was afraid to let go.  
  
"Trowa." Quatre wrestled his arms free enough to wrap around his koi's waist and return the embrace.  
"It's just. between everything you do. and the multiple attempts on your life. to purposely set yourself in danger seems foolish." The taller boy's body shook as he forced the words out. "I don't want to lose you, Quatre. I want to love you and protect you forever. If you go out there. I have no control over what might happen to you. I'd never forgive myself if. if." His grasp around the smaller boy tightened, choking him. Even still, a small smile crossed Quatre's face.  
  
"Trowa." He started, "I'm sorry too. I should have told you about my mission. I. I was afraid you wouldn't let me go." He pulled out of the embrace so that he could see his Koi's face. He was a little surprised to see tear streaks run down Trowa's usually apathetic face. Quatre reached up to dry those tears, "but I know exactly how you feel, Trowa, In more ways than one. Every time you leave to visit Catherine or on your own missions, I fear that something will happen that you won't come back to me. I don't like that sick feeling in my heart.  
  
"But..."  
  
"But I know that those missions are more important than just you and me. I also know that as long as you are able, you'll always find your way back to me, Trowa." Quatre's own tears spilt, "Please, believe me, Trowa? Believe that as long as I have breath I'll always return to you?"  
  
"Quatre."  
  
"I love you, Trowa. I never meant to hurt you or make you angry." Quatre sobbed into Trowa's chest, "but I have to go! Just like when you do, it's our responsibilities as Gundam pilots and believers in peace. We were pilots before we were ever together. It's a duty we must uphold."  
  
"I know, Quatre." Trowa whispered lifting the boy's face so that he could peer into those heartfelt aquamarine orbs. He leaned into meet Quatre's lips in a passionate kiss.  
  
The blonde found himself all but melting in Trowa's loving embrace, and searching kiss. He willingly opened his mouth deepening the kiss at Trowa's subtle request and lavished the taste and texture as they explored the familiar sensations of each other's mouth. Trowa ran his fingers along the back of the blonde's neck and through his fine silky strands of hair. Quatre found himself moaning as he reluctantly broke the contact. "I need to go, Trowa." He said regretfully.  
  
"I know." Trowa held him at arms length, "Hurry back and be safe." He ordered. "I love you, Quatre."  
  
"I promise, Trowa." The blonde smiled as he climbed into the cockpit, "I love you too, Trowa." He said before his koi climbed down from the hatch and the door closed.  
  
"Count down for take off." A controller announced from the computer console, "10.9.8.7.6.5.4.3.2.1.Sandrock take off."  
  
Trowa's long bangs blew in the gust of the gundam's verniay engines, with a force that threatened to blow him back off his feet.  
  
As he watched.  
  
The night was filled with an explosive burst of orange, red and black that blinded the onlookers. The sound that accompanied it was a deafening clap of thunder. When he had recovered, Trowa turned to face a horrifying sight. The teenager felt his heart skip a beat as he stared up at the debris that rained down to earth.  
  
The Gundam Sandrock was no more.  
  
"QUATRE!"  
  
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The alarm clock blared deafeningly, stirring the boy from his tormented sleep. He smacked the clock with his fist silencing it, but he didn't move to get up.  
  
The remnants of his dream plagued him.  
  
'No.' He thought glumly, staring at the dull ceiling, 'It wasn't a dream. It really happened. Sandrock did explode. Quatre really was gone.'  
  
Trowa's fingers brushed his lips with a feather's touch, tears misting his eyes, 'Quatre.' That kiss had taken place almost a year ago, but the memory, the passion behind it, the love. the feel of Quatre in his arms. it still burned him. "Quatre." He closed his eyes.  
  
"Trowa! Trowa get up!" a loud voice shouted through the door, "Don't make me get the supper soaker! Trowa!"  
  
Trowa sighed. It was the same routine every morning. He knew that his friends meant well, but still. without /'him'/ there was no reason to get up. No reason to live.  
  
"Barton, don't make me get Yui." It was not an empty threat.  
  
Grudgingly, Trowa pulled himself to his feet, pulled on some clean clothes and opened the door just as Hiiro Yui was about to open it. They stared at each other, one stoic , the other apathetic, Tensely for several minutes, as was the routine. Yui was studying him for signs of suicidal or self- mutilation tendencies in Trowa's demeanor.  
  
"'Bout time!" Duo complained loudly, "Common, we gotta get going!"  
  
Behind him, Wu Fei checked his watch. "We're going to be late!" He muttered.  
  
"Let's go." Hiiro ordered turning and marching down the hall, convinced that the apathetic boy behind him was sane for the moment.  
  
Trowa sighed. He knew better than to argue with them. He didn't care whether or not he knew what their destination was.  
  
To be continued. 


	3. Sandrock was no more Chapter two

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Chapter two  
  
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"You know, we were thinking ." Duo began in uncharacteristic seriousness as they all sat around the table of their favorite diner.  
  
"It might be time to sort through Quatre's belongings." Hiiro finished.  
  
Trowa's head whipped up, "NO!" he venomously declined with more emotion he's shown since Quatre's funeral, "No!"  
  
"He's gone. There's no point in keeping his room a shrine for him, and beside, there's no way for you to move on until you let him rest in peace."  
  
"You're one to talk!" Trowa glared at Wu Fei, "Or is 'Nataku' a name you pulled out of a hat?"  
  
"SHUT UP BASTARD!!!" Wu Fei jumped to his feet and slammed the table, drawing the attention of several other diners. "DON'T SPEAK OF THINGS YOU KNOW NOTHING OF!!"  
  
"Sit down Wu Fei." Hiiro's cold tone ordered. With a snarl the Chinese boy complied.  
  
"We worry about you, Trowa." Duo said quietly, "It's almost been a year; I don't think Quatre would want you to be like this."  
  
"He'd want you to be happy." Hiiro agreed.  
  
"Quatre's things stay put." Trowa said slowly, emphasizing each word with malice.  
  
"But Trowa." Duo started before Hiiro cut him off. The braided one looked at the other quizzically as Hiiro slowly shook his head. Duo then became really interested in the neglected soda in front of him.  
  
"Alright, Trowa," Hiiro relented, "we'll wait a little longer."  
  
"Oh, you're too kind." The banged one spat, rising from the table, "I'm outta here."  
  
"Trowa! Wait!" Duo called after him.  
  
"Leave him be." Hiiro said drinking from his coffee. "Wu Fei, follow him."  
  
"What! Why me?" Wu Fei all but pouted.  
  
"Because, I must speak with Duo, and Trowa needs to be looked after." Hiiro's face left no room for argument.  
  
"Fine." The Chinese boy grumbled also leaving.  
  
Duo silently sipped his soda while he waited for Hiiro to speak again.  
  
"We need to call Catherine." He finally said after several minutes of silence.  
  
Duo spat out what was in his mouth, mid-swallow, causing him to gag, "NANI!!"  
  
Hiiro watched him mildly amused. A small smirk entered his normally stoic mask.  
  
"But, Hiiro! Trowa said that he never wanted to see, 'That Bitch' for as long as he lived!" Duo sputtered still trying to recover from choking.  
  
"Breathing and living are two different things." Hiiro said matter- of-factly while staring at his drink. "Trowa died the same instant as Quatre. His body just hasn't acknowledged it yet."  
  
"Hiiro."  
  
"Someone needs to smack some sense into him. He was suicidal once after the first time I blew up Wing Gundam. She got pissed ant literally knocked sense into him." He looked at the braided boy sternly, "If anyone can pull this off it's her."  
  
"Hiiro." Duo paused, rethinking what he wanted to say.  
  
"What, Duo?"  
  
"Nandemoni," The braided one stood up and threw out the rest of his soda. His violet eyes lacking his usual mirth, and he sighed depressingly. "It's nothing." He repeated as he headed for the door.  
  
"Duo?" Hiiro's tone stopped the boy.  
  
"It's nothing, forget I said anything." And in a poor attempt to prove it, the American plastered one of his trademark grins on his face and threw his arms behind his head. "If we're going to find her, we should get going."  
  
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Mathew sat at the kitchen table waiting for the teapot to whistle. In front of him was a thick book. The young blonde ran his delicate fingers across the brail words.  
  
'Robin should be home from the hospital soon.' He thought to himself.  
  
He smiled as he thought about her. He found himself waking up in the morning wanting to hear her gentle voice and cheerful laughter.  
  
/Jade eyes./  
  
Mathew groaned as the image flashed through his mind.  
  
/Those eyes./  
  
He often remembered those eyes when he thought about Robin. But he could never remember the entire face.  
  
/Those eyes that were so full of hurt and sadness./  
  
He usually felt a sense of guilt along with those eyes. This time was no different.  
  
Mathew gripped the sides of his head as a headache began to arise. 'Those eyes. Why can't I remember?'  
  
"I'm home, Mathew." Robin called from the doorway.  
  
"Robin." He called, hunched over his book in pain.  
  
"MATHEW!! What is it!?!" She cried dropping her purse and keys and running to his side. She took hold of his shoulders and made him face her, "Mathew, talk to me!"  
  
"I just can't remember. It feels so close. Those eyes."  
  
Robin sighed and drew him close, in a tender embrace, "It's almost been a year, Mathew." She whispered stroking the back of his head as he wept against her, "Give it more time."  
  
The kettle whistled.  
  
"Here, why don't I get the tea and you can get the cups, okay?" She suggested, wiping away his tears.  
  
Mathew nodded and stood, his arms held out in front of him slightly. He didn't use his cane much around the apartment anymore. Slowly and surely, he made it to the cupboard without incident. Robin smiled at him as she prepared the tea. 


	4. Sandrock was no more Chapter three

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Chapter three  
  
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Trowa leaned against the railing of the bridge, just staring into the deep murky waters below. Without his permission, his thoughts began to drift towards that blonde angel that he had lost.  
  
/The gentle smile./  
  
After the destruction of Sandrock, Trowa had been devastated. For days he neither ate nor slept. He couldn't seem to move past the tremendous pain that plagued his heart.  
  
/Those kind aquamarine eyes./  
  
He then refused to believe that his love was gone. He spent days on the computer, searching hospitals and clinics, for any sign that Quatre had been admitted. He also looked in other safe houses and Quatre's favorite locations on earth. But there was nothing.  
  
/Eyes that held love and kindness./  
  
He searched everywhere he could. The Maganac weren't much help either. They didn't hold up the hope that their young master had survived.  
  
/Gentle locks of pale spun gold./  
  
'Hiiro survived self-destruction! I survived out in empty space! Why couldn't he have survived too?' Trowa had argued.  
  
/His warm embrace./  
  
'He's just as strong as any of us!" He had insisted.  
  
/Gentle, passionate kiss./  
  
'His body was probably incinerated in the explosion.' Hiiro had said.  
  
/Loving touch./  
  
Trowa had punched him for that remark.  
  
/His steady breath./  
  
The date set for his love's funeral came. They had postponed it for weeks until the official report had been written up. The cause of Sandrock's destruction had been a bomb. They still had no idea who had planted it. Trowa had looked. Trowa had looked thoroughly. But like Quatre's disappearance, nothing came up.  
  
/Happy, content laugh./  
  
The funeral made everything so final.  
  
/His empathic sense./  
  
Trowa didn't want to give up, but the funeral made everything so. final.  
  
/Caring heart./  
  
He watched as they had lowered the empty casket into the grave. He heard the weeping of Quatre's sisters. He saw Duo's sorrow because he had lost his best friend. He saw the guilt written on both Hiiro and Wu Fei's faces because the little blonde had been sent on the mission instead of them. He took all of this in, becoming all the while more and more lost in his own grief.  
  
/The comfort he gave./  
  
The funeral made it final.  
  
/The love he sought./  
  
His Quatre was gone.  
  
/The love he sought from Trowa./  
  
Quatre was dead.  
  
/The love they had together./  
  
And so was Trowa.  
  
/'I'd never forgive myself if. if.'/  
  
He'd failed. Failed to protect his little one.  
  
/'I'd never forgive myself if. if.'/  
  
In those first few days after the funeral, Trowa had locked himself in the room that he and Quatre had shared. He had gone into their bathroom.  
  
/'I know you're strong.'/  
  
He found Quatre's medications. Pills for the pain he frequently had endured.  
  
/'Stronger than any of us.'/  
  
Trowa had taken those pills. All of them.  
  
/'I don't want to lose you."/  
  
With alcohol.  
  
/'I want to love and protect you.'/  
  
He had collapsed in a heap on the floor, waiting to be with his sweet Quatre again.  
  
/'Quatre.'/  
  
Hiiro and Wu Fei found him. Duo called the medics.  
  
/'I'm sorry, Quatre.'/  
  
He woke up in the hospital.  
  
/'I don't want to lose you.'/  
  
His Quatre was no where to be seen.  
  
/'Hurry back, Quatre.'/  
  
He had been saved.  
  
/'I promise, Trowa.'/  
  
He had been denied death.  
  
/'I don't want to lose you.'/  
  
Now he was alone.  
  
/'I think you're stronger than anyone else.'/  
  
Now Trowa was constantly being watched. The others had lost one comrade, they weren't about to lose another.  
  
/Stronger than me./  
  
That's when the routine was established.  
  
/Quatre./  
  
They didn't want him to die, so they constantly guarded and surveyed him.  
  
/Come back to me, Quatre./  
  
He didn't want to live, so he quite caring. He just went through the motions to appease them.  
  
/Don't leave me, Quatre./  
  
Now they wanted to erase Quatre - make him forget.  
  
/'I don't want to lose you.'/  
  
To forget him.  
  
/There's a saying./  
  
He couldn't forget.  
  
/It's better to have loved and lost./  
  
He didn't want to forget.  
  
/Then to have never loved at all./  
  
But maybe it would be for the best.  
  
/It was wrong./  
  
.if he had never loved the little Arabian.  
  
/'I'll always return to you.'/  
  
It'd be best.  
  
/'I love you, Quatre.'/  
  
If he had never known him.  
  
/'I love you too.'/  
  
Then he wouldn't hurt.  
  
/'I'll always return.'/  
  
Then he wouldn't be alone.  
  
"Quatre."  
  
+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+  
  
/'Quatre.'/  
  
The tea cup slipped through his fingers smashing to the tiled floor. Mathew's shaking hands went to his chest as he fell to his knees, doubled over in searing agony. His breath seemed to be caught in his throat along with the scream that wanted to tear itself from him.  
  
'What is this?' The panicked thought echoed in his head.  
  
"MATHEW!!" Robin shrieked running to his side, "WHAT'S WRONG!"  
  
"It hurts. my chest. someone. someone's in pain." He gasped out between gritted teeth. "T.Trowa." he whispered falling unconscious.  
  
"HOLD ON!" Robin ordered, scrambling to the phone. Hastily, she called for an ambulance. 'Please, don't leave me Mathew.' She silently begged holding him close as the waited. "Hang in there, Mathew."  
  
+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+  
  
To be continued. 


	5. Sandrock was no more Chapter four

+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+  
  
Chapter four  
  
+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+  
  
The braided boy kicked at the soda can again. It bounced and clanked along the pavement until it came to a rest and Duo kicked it again. The boy didn't have on his usual mask of carefree happiness; instead he was as visibly depressed as the grey drizzling rain that blanketed the town.  
  
"Baka, Hiiro." He muttered to himself, shoving his hands deeper into his trench coat's pockets and kicking the can again. "Trowa's not the only one, you know." He kicked at it again, "I miss him too. But did Baka Hiiro ever think of that? Noooooo." He made a face of a child sulking, "Did he ever stop to think that maybe it would be too soon for the rest of us? That maybe others might still be mourning him?"  
  
He growled in angry frustration kicking the can harder. It went flying farther than before, hitting the side of a building and landing behind a fence. "Baka Hiiro!!" Duo shouted, "Damn it! It's only been a year! ONE FREAKIN' YEAR!"  
  
Yelling felt good. He'd been keeping his emotions bottled up for too long. He needed to vent. So without a care of who saw him, Duo went right on ranting, yelling up at the sky as if it would answer his accusations. "QUATRE WAS MY BEST FRIEND!!! HE WAS THE KINDEST PERSON I'VE EVER KNOWN!! WHY THE HELL DID HE HAVE TO DIE? WHY COULDN'T IT HAVE BEEN ME?"  
  
Duo paused. His breath became choked up in a sob. With a pitiful wail, the braided boy fell to his knees. "Why couldn't it have been me?" He asked again. He bowed his head and allowed the tears to stream down his cheeks. "Why him? Why Quatre?" He sobbed.  
  
"I ask myself that question every night, Duo." A quiet voice whispered from behind the braided boy.  
  
Duo struggled to stifle his hiccupping sobs, "What the hell are you talking about, Hiiro?"  
  
The Japanese boy sat himself down next to the American in the misted of the wet grass and rain. "You were right, Duo. Trowa isn't the only one mourning Quatre." He said without looking at Duo. "I mourn him."  
  
Duo snorted, "You? The 'Perfect Soldier'? I thought you didn't have emotions. I thought you said that he was nothing but a casualty of war."  
  
Hiiro slowly nodded, "I did." And then he sighed, "But I didn't mean it."  
  
"Then why do you want to make us forget him?" The braided boy asked bitterly.  
"You could never forget him, Duo." Hiiro said shaking his head, "And nothing I say or do will change that." He turned and eyed the braided boy seriously, "But, You and Wu Fei and I are able to go on with our lives. We still do the same things we did before he died. Trowa can't. Trowa isn't moving past this. It's slowly killing him, physically. He's not eating, he doesn't sleep. His spirit died a long time ago." Hiiro shrugged, "Maybe I was wrong, but I don't think he'll ever pull himself out of this if we don't push him. I believe that the first step is clearing out Quatre's things. Without the constant reminder, it might make it easier." Hiiro's face became saddened, "I don't know about you, Duo, but I'd rather not lose another one of my friends."  
  
Duo was quiet for a minute, rolling what he'd heard around his head. After a bit he looked at the other boy, "Why couldn't you have explained this before? Instead of just dumping it on us this morning? You know Trowa's not the only one who hated that idea! Wu Fei and I just played along because you said to!"  
  
"I suppose I could have." Hiiro admitted, "But I wasn't sure how you'd all take it. Why didn't you tell me your frustrations earlier? After Trowa had left? You started to. It would have been better than the whole neighborhood finding out what an idiot you think I am."  
  
Duo shrugged, playing with the tip of his long chestnut braid, "And make you think something's wrong?"  
  
"I already knew something was wrong." Hiiro said quietly, slowly.  
  
Duo looked up at the other boy sharply. His dark violet eyes held confusion. Then he looked down at the grass as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. He swallowed hard.  
  
"Duo," Hiiro started, "When a person who talks as much as you do, suddenly can't find anything to say, it's a pretty good indicator."  
  
A smirk crossed the braided boy's face, "Yeah, I guess so."  
  
Hiiro stood and stretched, "I've got to go find Wu Fei. We have a mission later tonight."  
  
"A.a mission?" Duo frowned, "But, Hiiro."  
  
"I know." Hiiro nodded, "But Dr. J isn't one to let personal feelings and fears get in the way of what has to be done."  
  
"I know." Duo sighed, and looked up. "I'll stay with Trowa."  
  
Hiiro nodded, giving his traditional 'hn.' As he turned to leave.  
  
"You do know, Hiiro," Duo started in all seriousness. The Japanese boy paused. "I don't really think you're an idiot."  
  
A small smile crept across the stoic one's face. "I'll be back later, Duo."  
  
"Later." The braided one smiled.  
  
+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+  
  
Wu Fei frowned. He was examining Shenlong's structure for abnormalities. Ever since the bombing of Sandrock, he had become very paranoid of security; especially since they hadn't caught the person responsible. So before every mission, he did a thorough search of his Gundam. He had, however, not expected to actually find something.  
  
Now he stood face to face with an explosive mechanism. Wu Fei's first thought was to disarm it, but it had a tamperproof security measure embedded in it. He then noticed that there was also a timer. The numbers slowly counted backwards.  
  
'Damn.' The Chinese boy thought to himself. 'I could fly it out of here, and get a safe distance away from the others. but.' "What is this?" The boy frowned, squinting at a small wire.  
  
"Wu Fei, are you almost ready to go?" Hiiro's voice cut into his thoughts.  
  
"Yui, I think you should see this." The Chinese boy said, trying to keep his voice from shaking as what he was looking at made more and more sense.  
  
"What is it?" The Japanese pilot said walking over.  
  
"I think you should check Zero's structure. I found a nasty little present on Nataku's external frame." He pointed to the bomb. "I think it's the same thing that killed, Quatre."  
  
"Is.Is that what I think it is?" Hiiro frowned.  
  
"Yup. It's a heat sensor." Wu Fei shook his head. "Who ever set this didn't want it to be moved. If I leave it be, the timer will go off. If I try and disarm it, the tamperproof will kick in, and if I try to fly it out of here."  
  
"Your verniay fuel will cause it to ignite." Hiiro finished. "Destroying you like it did, Quatre."  
  
Wu Fei visibly shuddered. "Damned if I do, damned if I don't."  
  
"Hang on; I'm going to check out Wing Zero." Hiiro said running over to his suite.  
"I'm going to check out Heavyarms and Deathscythe too." Wu Fei said heading to Trowa and Duo's Gundams. He paused, and turned to face the other boy, "Uh. Hiiro, what are we going to do if all four have the same device?"  
  
Hiiro's face grew more serious, "I honestly don't know."  
  
+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+  
  
She scowled.  
  
Of course she had known about the Chinese boy's paranoia, but the fact that it had been over looked, put her in a very bad mood. Yes, she should have known better. Now things might not go as planned. That'd piss off her boss.  
  
Her boss had rebuked her for the blonde's "Accidental" death.  
  
Little did her boss know.  
  
Killing the Arabian had been almost too easy. It had almost been fun. God, she had hated that boy. It was all she could do not to burst out laughing in the middle of the funeral. Of course, the others had been too enveloped in their own misery to have even noticed that she had even been there.  
  
Her scowl deepened.  
  
He hadn't even noticed. She had specifically gone there to see him, but damn it all, he didn't even notice. She honestly wasn't surprised. Not at all surprised. However, that did not mean that it made her any less angry.  
  
Stupid boy.  
  
Yes, killing the Arabian had been too easy. The bastard deserved to suffer in unimaginable ways. He didn't deserve the swift death that had been granted him. She wanted to take him and kill him a thousand more times. Each death more painful than the last.  
  
She smirked.  
  
The others might prove more of a challenge, but she'd enjoy every minute of it.  
  
After all.  
  
It's not every day that you get the opportunity to kill off the Gundam pilots.  
  
To be continued. 


	6. Sandrock was no more Chapter five

+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+  
  
Chapter five  
  
+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+  
  
Trowa stood, staring at the tiny little black box. It was about four inches by four inches. It had so many wires that if he had cared to cut one, he wouldn't have had a clue as to which one. Yet somehow, someway, in that tiny little black box were enough explosives to destroy a Gundam.  
  
To kill Quatre.  
  
Duo couldn't believe it, and he said so repeatedly. Gundaniam was supposed to be near indestructible. So how the hell could one little black box be responsible for Sandrock's destruction? "It's NOT possible!" He said again, "I don't believe it!"  
  
Gundaniam is stronger than that.  
  
Wu Fei frustrated, kicked the wall, "Kisama!!" he swore. How had they gotten so careless? He would think that especially after what had happened to Winner, that the security would have been upgraded, and much stricter. "How could this have happened?"  
  
'How did we become so weak?'  
  
The Japanese boy rapidly typed on his laptop. He was searching the net for the schematics for the bomb. It must have been made by a non-militaristic organization because he was coming up with nothing. Either that, or it was too highly encrypted, that no one knew it existed. Hiiro scoffed. Like that was possible. Even if it was that highly encrypted, he should have no problem hacking into the information.  
  
He was, after all, Hiiro.  
  
"So what the hell are we supposed to do?" Duo demanded, his arms draped behind his head, an angry pout on his face.  
  
Hiiro looked up, his perfect indifferent mask in place, "We destroy them." He said evenly.  
  
"Uh. HELLO! In case you haven't noticed? That's not going to be a walk in the park! As it is, the timer is still counting."  
  
"Since when has the difficulty of the mission prevented it from being carried out?" Wu Fei demanded.  
  
Hiiro went back to his computer, "It doesn't."  
  
Duo just shook his head. "Alright, do you have a plan of action then?"  
  
"Hn."  
  
"GREAT!!" Duo mocked, "Then why don't you let us in on it?"  
  
Hiiro typed a few more lines of codes and turned the computer to face the others. "This is Romefeller's main frame." He oriented, "There is everything that they ever thought of, worked on, or completed. Some of it is more highly encrypted then others."  
  
"What's this?" Wu Fei asked pointing to a small blinking icon.  
  
Hiiro clicked on it. "The data on this weapon."  
  
Duo pointed at the top of the screen, "Hiiro, the last dated entry was only a week ago."  
  
"Hn."  
  
"But the Romefeller foundation was destroyed at the same time as Libra." The Chinese boy frowned, "Who'd be using their system?"  
  
"I can only think of two people who would have the access."  
  
"Lady Une." Wu Fei said, a note of disbelief in his voice.  
  
"And that creepy girl with the eyebrows." Duo added.  
  
"Dorothy." Trowa identified, a look of hatred on his uncaring face.  
  
"T.Trowa!" Duo exclaimed surprised, turning and facing the boy that had snuck up behind them. "I didn't think you were paying attention!"  
  
"How do you know her?" Wu Fei asked.  
  
"Quatre and I went to school with her while we stayed in the Sanque Kingdom." Hiiro explained.  
  
The look on Trowa's face darkened, "Dorothy challenged Quatre to a fencing duel, on Libra. He lost his weapon and she impaled him though his stomach. She almost killed him. I still have a score to settle with her."  
  
+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+  
  
To be continued. 


	7. Sandrock was no more Chapter six

+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+  
  
Chapter six  
  
+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+  
  
Dorothy Catalonia walked like a faithful dog at the heel of her dear Princess Relena. A sly smirk was ever present on her pale face. Her light blue eyes glistened with mischief. Her long blonde hair flowed behind her as she strolled. She absentmindedly played with her dark freaky pointed eyebrows.  
  
"What is it, Dorothy?" Relena sighed, annoyed. "I'm afraid that I'm very busy at the moment and don't have the time to talk."  
  
The older girl frowned, "Miss Relena, that's not fair. I had something of great importance to discuss with you."  
  
The Princess turned and faced the other girl, "Whatever it is, Dorothy, it will have to wait. I'm afraid I'm running late."  
  
"Even if it has to do with the Gundam Pilots?" She asked in her sugary, flattering voice.  
  
Relena frowned, "The Gundam Pilots? Dorothy, what are you talking about?"  
  
"Come now, Miss Relena." Dorothy purred. "We may want to speak of this in private."  
  
"Are you certain it can't wait?"  
  
Dorothy's eyes narrowed the smirk on her face more prominent, "I'm positive that it can not."  
  
Relena sighed. "Very well then, I will meet you in my office in a few minutes."  
  
The blonde turned and walked down the hall, "I will wait for you then, Miss Relena."  
  
Relena watched as the other girl left. Her entire body became stiffened with tension. A look of distaste crossed her usually placid face. Dorothy was never up to any good; and frankly, Relena found that she didn't have the patience to deal with her at the moment.  
  
+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+  
  
"Trowa.T.Trowa."The boy moaned in his fitful sleep, "What's wrong? Why are you in so much pain? Trowa.."  
  
Robin reached out and squeezed the young man's hand. Worried, she tried to calm him. "Ssssshhh, It's alright. you're safe." She frowned. 'What's happening to you?' She thought, 'Your nightmares aren't usually this bad.'  
  
The boy began tossing and turning, flailing his arms as if to ward off an attack, "TROWA!" He screamed, "TROOOWWAA!"  
  
"Mathew! Mathew! Calm down!" Robin ordered, trying to restrain his hands.  
  
"TROWA!" The boy bolted straight up breathing hard. His unseeing aquamarine orbs wild with terror. After a minute, he doubled over himself, clutching at his heart, and sobbed. His entire body shuddered with the sobs.  
  
Robin sighed, and wrapped the boy into a gentle but firm embrace, "It's alright, Mattie." She soothed, running her fingers through his soft golden hair.  
  
"He's in so much pain." The blonde chocked out between sobs, "So much pain. and it's all my fault.my. fault."  
  
"What on earth are you talking about?" Robin asked, moving to sit on the edge of the bed, "Do you remember something?"  
  
The boy was silent, his thoughts racing through his mind. It was still a jumble, but it seemed as if a few pieces had been put together. "A name. part of a face." He whispered his crying subsiding. He wiped away the tears with the sleeves of his shirt. "Trowa. what is it that I did to you?" he begged to know.  
  
"Mattie, the doctor asked that he be alerted when you woke up, I'm going to go and get him now. Will you be alright?" She asked, her hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Hai, I believe so." He said, his voice quiet. "I'm more concerned about Trowa."  
  
Robin smiled and ruffled his hair, "That's just like you, you know? Putting others before yourself. Well let me tell you something; this Trowa isn't in this hospital, you are. So why don't you concentrate on getting well?"  
  
Sadly to boy nodded his agreement.  
  
"Hey, cheer up!" The girl ordered, "Frowns do not become you. Anyway, I'll go and get that Doctor now."  
  
"Arigato, Robin."  
  
+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+  
  
Duo paced agitatedly around the room as Wu Fei watched over Hiiro's shoulder at the computer and Trowa sulked on the bed. They had been at this for hours trying to figure out how to get rid of the bombs. The braided boy stopped to look at his watch again.  
  
12:47 am.  
  
The timers, they had determined would go off roughly at 12:00 a.m. three days from now. At which time; the bombs would detonate and destroy everything in a two mile radius; that is if they couldn't get them off the ground. If they could, then the casualties would be limited to themselves; but then they wouldn't be able to catch the killer.  
  
Duo sighed.  
  
It was really depressing. It seemed hopeless. No matter what simulations took place the ending was always the same, four great big balls of flaming Gundaniam. It was sickening. Personally, Duo didn't want to be flambéed.  
  
"Will you please sit down?" Wu Fei begged, "Your pacing is getting on my nerves!"  
  
"But I can't just stand here doing nothing!" Duo countered.  
  
"You can go to Relena." Hiiro suggested. "If we can't stop this, then these people will need to be evacuated."  
  
Duo visibly cringed, "Relena?" he gulped, "You want me to go see, Relena. But Hiiro, she wouldn't listen to me!"  
  
Hiiro turned and glared at the braided youth, "If you tell her that the message is from me, she most definitely will."  
  
"And you can take Barton with you." Wu Fei added. "Neither one of you are of any help at the moment."  
  
Duo pouted. "You guys, this is cruel and unusual punishment. It's bad enough that I gotta go see her, but now you want me to take him too?" He crossed his arms like a five year old about to throw a tantrum, "Why can't I help with the bombs and Wu Fei goes see Relena with Trowa? Or better yet, why don't you go, Hiiro? She is your girlfriend."  
  
Hiiro now stood, his eyes dangerously narrow as he silently threatened Duo's life.  
  
"I suggest you get going." Wu Fei smirked, "Before he tries to use you for target practice yet again."  
  
"Yeah, yeah." Duo waved off heading to the door, grabbing Trowa by the arm on his way out. "It's not my fault he's got relationship issues. I mean, any normal guy would want to see their girlfriend. especially if they thought they might die."  
  
"Baka." Hiiro grumbled.  
  
Wu Fei looked at him curiously, "We should get back to work."  
  
"Hn."  
  
+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+  
  
Trowa walked beside Duo, more because the braided baka still clung to his arm then anything else. His usually cheerful friend was now grumbling under his breath about this and about that. Mostly about having to see Relena.  
  
Trowa had never really cared for the girl. The princess, turned queen turned diplomat. She seemed too high strung in her ideals to be a part of reality. However, Quatre, on the other hand seemed to respect the Vice Foreign Minister. He found great strength in her stead fast determination to do what she saw as the right thing. If Quatre respected her, and even looked up to her, then maybe there was more to the girl then Trowa gave her credit for.  
  
Relena had been so remorseful at Quatre's funeral. It was as if she blamed herself for what had happened to the blonde Gundam pilot. She kept repeating how sorry she was, how if she could change things she would, and if she had been more careful, none of this would have happened.  
  
Trowa didn't understand what she was talking about.  
  
"Will you please hurry up?" Duo frowned. "I'd like to get in and out as quickly as possible." 'Not that you care.' He thought.  
  
"Is Dorothy still staying in the palace with Relena?"  
  
Duo thought for a minute, "Um. not sure." He shuddered, "God, I hope not."  
  
"You can let go of me, you know." Trowa frowned, "I'll still follow you."  
  
Duo looked at him skeptically, "Sure, whatever you say." And he dropped the other's arm. "Let's please just go in, do what we gotta do and get out ASAP! Please!!!"  
  
+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+ "Oh, hi Hilde, how are you doing?" Catherine's voice filtered through the Vid phone nauseatingly cheerful.  
  
The girl on the other end scowled, her dark hair falling in front of her dark eyes. "What do you want, Catherine?"  
  
"To go over our plans." Catherine's lavender eyes narrowed and a smirk crossed her face.  
  
"I TOLD you!" Hilde snapped angrily, "I don't want anything to do with THAT! Duo loves his Deathscythe more than anything! I'm sure that the other pilots feel the same about theirs! Isn't it bad enough that Quatre has already died because of your baka idea? How many of the others will too?" She stared at them hard before icily commanding, "Leave me out of it!"  
  
Catherine sighed and shook her head sadly. Someone pushed her out of the way and a new face filled the screen, "That really is too bad, Hilde." Dorothy sighed like a parent about to discipline a child. "It really won't do at all."  
  
"I have nothing to say to you." Hilde's skin bristled with goose bumps, as she went to turn off the connection.  
  
"I'm sure you don't want to cut us off, Hilde." Dorothy warned. Her tone gave Hilde pause.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
An evil smirk grossly spread across the blonde's face, "Because then we will miss the show."  
  
"Show?" Hilde's face went white; she couldn't keep the fear from her voice, something that made the other girl laugh with glee.  
  
"Look under the couch." Dorothy grinned. "We left you a little surprise."  
  
Hilde found that she could barely make her body move as she knew what the surprise was. She, however, forced herself to look. Under the cushions of her couch was a small black box, four inches by four inches. The timer counted back: 5.4.3.  
"WHY!?" Hilde screamed.  
  
2.  
"We can't have you warning your precious Duo, now can we?" Dorothy said innocently.  
  
1. "DAMN Y." +*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+  
  
The explosion was brilliant in the eyes of Dorothy Catalonia. The mixture of the red and orange flames, flying debris and the vision of Hilde's charred corpse was a sight to behold, and something that the deranged blonde would cherish for the rest of her days. Then sadly, and to the disappointment of Dorothy, the Vid phone connection was lost as the heat from the infernal became too much for the machine and it too exploded.  
  
Dorothy pouted as she stared at the fuzzing screen. "Pity. They really should build those to withstand more heat."  
  
"It had to be done." Catherine was repeating to her self quietly. "It had to be done."  
  
The blonde gave her a sideways glance, "Of course it had to be done. I mean, we can't very well go and have her ruining things, now can we?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Of course not. Just keep in mind, this is for Trowa's own good."  
  
Catherine nodded slowly, "I wonder though, what will Miss Relena say?"  
  
Dorothy snorted, "What do I care what she says? For someone with as much power as she has, Miss Relena thinks very small." Dorothy turned off the fuzzing screen and walked to the window, "She wants a unified peace, but as long as there are Gundams, that isn't possible. So she devises this plan to get rid of the Gundams." She spun around to face the other girl, "But you feel that even without the Gundams, the pilots would still retaliate, and poor Trowa would never be free to return to the circus where he belongs."  
  
Catherine nodded, and then hatefully added, "Especially that Winner brat! That Bastard would never have allowed Trowa to go free."  
  
"With his resources, empathic sense and leadership over the Gundams, we never would have gotten close enough to the others, so of course he had to be the first to die."  
  
"But Relena was horrified! She had a hard time believing it was a miscalculation, an accident! When she finds out about Hilde, she's going to know something is amiss."  
  
"Then we'll have to take steps to rectify the situation before it gets too out of control." Dorothy shrugged indifferently. "Either way, our goal will be realized."  
  
Catherine nodded, as the door opened and Relena stepped inside.  
  
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To be continued. 


	8. Sandrock was no more Chapter seven

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Chapter Seven  
  
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"It was a strange sensation." Mathew was explaining to the Doctor, "It was as if I was feeling the pain of another. It was a deep sense of sorrow, of loss. Loneliness." He trailed off, his hand went to his heart, "It was someone who was close to me. but it wasn't Robin."  
  
"Interesting. Would you say that the closeness would be distance or relationship?" The Doctor asked.  
  
Mathew thought, "Both.The strength of the feeling felt as if it was just down the street. the source of the feeling felt.familiar? Like someone who." The blonde boy shook his head, "I'm sorry, I don't know how to explain it."  
  
"Well, it seems to have passed, and despite that you felt overwhelmed, it seems to me that this has happened to you before."  
  
"I don't recall if it has or not." The boy apologized.  
  
"It's okay. I'm going to prescribe these pills and they'll help with any other discomfort."  
  
"What do you think it was, Doctor?" Robin spoke up for the first time.  
  
"Well, the blood tests, scans, and x-rays that we did showed him to be absolutely normal. He's in picture perfect health aside from the blindness and amnesia. My guess, and mind you this is just a guess, is that he has a sort of sixth sense."  
  
The girl scoffed, "Are you serious? I thought those type of things only existed in comic books."  
  
"Oh, yes. I'm quite serious. My sister had a sixth sense that allowed her to see the future."  
  
"She was psychic?"  
  
"No, more like an oracle." The Doctor looked at the boy, "He's empathic. I'd bet money on it."  
  
"But not your reputation or career." Robin noted dryly.  
  
The Doctor sighed, "No not my reputation or my career. The medical field does not recognize these sixth senses as fact. They would never acknowledge it, and would ridicule the doctor who brought it into light. That doctor would never be able to work in medicine again."  
  
"You sound as if that has happened before." Mathew whispered.  
  
"It has. The doctor who recognized my sister's gift went through exactly that."  
  
"I'm so sorry." The boy offered.  
  
"I was too, but she said that it was fine." The Doctor shrugged. "She actually is researching the theory. I talked to her a few weeks ago and she was very happy, despite what was done to her."  
  
"Well that's good." Robin smiled.  
  
"Yes." The Doctor turned his attention to the boy in front of him, "So anyway, Mathew, that is my guess although I can not make an official diagnosis. However, I want you to come and see me if it gets worse though, alright?"  
  
The boy nodded, as Robin helped him get to his feet.  
  
"Take care, now."  
  
"Thank you, sir." The boy shook his hand.  
  
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"Well that went well." Robin said cheerfully, as she and Mathew walked out of the hospital towards their apartment. The blonde boy just nodded. "What's wrong?"  
  
"I was just thinking." The boy started, "If what I was sensing really was from someone who was close to me, both in distance and relationship, then."  
  
"You might not be as far from home as you thought." Robin finished for him, a sad smile on her face.  
  
"If that's true, then why haven't they been looking for me?" Mathew stopped walking.  
  
"Maybe they have been. You said that the feelings were of sorrow, loss and loneliness. It might be that they feel that way because they can't find you." The girl tried to reassure him.  
  
"Maybe." His train of thought drifting off, his unseeing eyes staring at nothing in particular.  
  
"Come on Mattie!" Robin exclaimed suddenly grabbing a hold of his arm, "Let's go do something fun!"  
  
"Like what?" He laughed as she dragged him down the street.  
  
"You'll see!" She squealed with delight.  
  
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Relena frowned as the two girls became suspiciously silent when she entered the room, "Dorothy, I wasn't aware that Miss Catherine would be here as well."  
  
"I'm sorry, Miss Relena. It must have slipped my mind." The blonde cooed.  
  
"So what is it?" Relena demanded, "What was so important it couldn't wait?"  
  
Dorothy batted her eyelashes as her grin spread across her face, "I thought you would like to know of our progress in destroying the Gundams, Miss Relena."  
  
The former queen's frown deepened, "Dorothy, I believe that I aborted that plan of yours; the purpose having been defeated with the death of young Mr. Winner."  
  
The blonde shrugged and flicked her eyebrows, "Why? Because of one little mishap?"  
  
"Someone died, Dorothy." Relena snapped, disgusted, "That is not a little mishap."  
  
"Miss Relena," Catherine approached, "The purpose of this plan was to destroy the weapons that could destroy this peace if put in the wrong hands. It's also to free the pilots from their bloody obligations, giving them a chance at a normal life. The death of young Quatre was indeed. unfortunate; however the threats are still present and must be dealt with."  
  
"If not, then perhaps all of them, along with countless civilians may lose their lives." Dorothy purred.  
  
Relena sighed. She desperately wanted the Gundams to be a thing of the past, but the pilots would never destroy them willingly unless it was with the intension of dieing as well. When Dorothy and Catherine had approached her with their idea, she had been hesitant. Human life was not an acceptable risk; however, they both ensured her that no one would be hurt as a result of their activities.  
  
Then Quatre had died.  
  
Relena had put an immediate stop to any and all plans. However it seemed as if Dorothy didn't care that the plan had been aborted. The blonde still did as she wished. Well there wasn't anything she could do about it now, "Very well, Dorothy, what do you have to report?"  
  
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It was roughly eight in the morning, when Relena ordered that tea and Croissants be brought to her and her guests. They had been up the entire night debating Dorothy's plans and she was quite tired; however, she still had several meetings to attend before lunch.  
  
"My Lady," The servant whispered when he delivered their breakfasts, "There are two young men here to see you."  
  
The young ruler sighed warily, "Do they have an appointment?" The servant shook his head, "Did they give their names?"  
  
"No, they did, however, say that they have a request from Hiiro."  
  
Relena perked up immediately, "Please, show them in." She smiled, not noticing the worried glance that Catherine gave Dorothy.  
  
"Well it's about time!" A loud voice complained from down the hall.  
  
Dorothy rolled her eyes, 'Great, it's that brainless idiot, Maxwell.' She smiled nonetheless as two of the Gundam pilots entered the room.  
  
"Duo, Trowa, welcome." Relena greeted.  
  
Catherine's eyes flashed, 'Trowa.'  
  
"Yo, milady- long time no see!" The braided boy returned, his grin ever present.  
  
"Trowa, you look well." The former queen smiled diplomatically. The banged boy regarded her in silent indifference.  
  
"Trowa, mind your manners." Catherine chastised.  
  
Trowa's head whipped around, his emerald eyes glaring although his face remained an impassive mask.  
  
Duo bit on his lower lip uncertainly as he watched his friend's reactions. He didn't relish the thought of having to restrain the taller teen, but if it became necessary.Trowa tended to be unpredictable despite the calm façade he always wore, mainly when Quatre and Catherine were concerned. So watch, Duo did.  
  
"What are you doing here, Catherine?" The banged boy demanded coldly.  
  
"I'm having breakfast with my friends." Catherine said wrapping the stoic boy in a rough hug, "And what, pray tell, brings you here, my dear little brother?"  
  
"Catherine." Duo tried to warn as Trowa roughly pushed the young woman's arms away.  
  
"It's none of your business." He frowned.  
  
The brunette huffed, "You've gotten so rude, Trowa!"  
  
"Indeed." Dorothy smirked, "I doubt that he'd be lacking such manners if he lived with you."  
  
Trowa sent the devilish blonde a hate filled look, "Butt out, Dorothy. These things don't concern you."  
  
"Trowa, when will you come home?" Catherine demanded, "Honestly, this rebellious streak has gone on long enough."  
  
Trowa's glare deepened and his fists began to clench reflexively.  
  
"Uh, okay!" Duo said stepping between them, "Trowa, why don't you wait outside? I'll talk to Relena."  
  
Trowa gave a curt nod before storming, as much as Trowa could storm, out of the room. To Duo's dismay, Catherine was close behind shouting at the banged boy to wait.  
  
"So, Duo." Relena addressed, "I was told you have a request from Hiiro?"  
  
"Hai," He nodded bringing himself back to his mission, "We're faced with." He paused and scowled when he realized that Dorothy had remained, "Uh. a situation that has the potential to become a disaster. Hiiro requests that all civilians within a five mile radius from the Market District be evacuated immediately."  
  
"Duo, that's over a million individuals." Relena frowned, "How much time is he giving me?"  
  
"12 hours."  
  
"12 hours! And where does he propose I put all of them?"  
  
The braided boy pulled out a disc, "He suggested several of the old Alliance military compounds."  
  
"Very well, I'll send word when it has been completed."  
  
"Thank you." Duo turned to leave, "Ladies."  
  
"Just a moment, Duo." Dorothy called, "You know a Hilde Schubeicher, don'tcha?" Duo stopped. "Did you hear?"  
  
"Hear what?"  
  
"Apparently, her apartment caught fire."  
  
Chills flooded down his spine, "W.W.Nani?" He twisted to face the creepy blonde.  
  
"I'm afraid she was trapped inside." She offered mock sympathy, "I'm terribly sorry, she died in the infernal."  
  
"Hilde."  
  
"How on earth did you hear about that, Dorothy?" Relena asked, "I haven't seen any news broadcasts about it."  
  
"I have my sources, all of which are very reliable." Dorothy sipped at her tea.  
  
"Duo, I am so sorry." Relena offered, "Were you very close with her?"  
  
"No.not really." Duo mumbled leaving the girls to their breakfast.  
  
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Watching the braided boy leave, a sly grin crossed Dorothy's face, 'Playing with other people's lives is such fun.' She thought, thoroughly pleased with herself.  
  
"You are positively cruel, Dorothy." Relena accused.  
  
"Perhaps, Miss Relena." Dorothy smirked, 'Perhaps.'  
  
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The braided boy stopped in the bathroom before he went to find Trowa. Duo didn't really know what to feel at this unsettling news. He glared at himself in the mirror. His violet eyes were watering but he refused to allow tears to fall. No he hadn't been very close to Hilde, she annoyed the Hell out of him, but. they were friends. She had been there when he needed help, a place to stay, a job. but it wasn't like losing Quatre. No, that was a different, deeper kind of hurt. That was one that still pained him. He didn't believe that Hilde's death would affect him the same way. He was glad of that, actually, Duo didn't believe that he could go through another loss like Quatre.  
  
With a deep sigh and a resolve to deal with this later, the braided boy washed his face and left to find his friend, his carefree mask carefully in place. Some things were more important at the moment, and sadly, Hilde would not take precedence over the mission at hand. He would mourn later.  
  
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The grounds of Relena's personal estate were massive. If Trowa didn't want to be found, there were plenty of hiding places available. Duo scowled, they didn't have time for Trowa to be playing hide'n seek with his 'sister'. "TROWA," he yelled, "IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, LET'S GO, OR I'M LEAVING YOU HERE WITH HER!"  
  
"Don't bother." A tearful voice mumbled next to him. The braided boy looked down at Catherine. She was sporting a nasty gash on her forehead and was sobbing miserably, "He's gone."  
  
"Gone?" Duo frowned, "Damnit, what do you mean 'gone'?"  
  
"He's gone, he left. he took my jeep. and left."  
  
"Oh, kuso." Duo groaned smacking his forehead with his fist.  
  
Catherine looked up at him with sorrowful eyes, "Why doesn't he want to come home?" She asked, "I tolerated it when he was alive." She all but spat, "But with him gone, there is no reason for Trowa to stay with all of you. It's not good for him, he needs to come home. Home where he's safe and loved."  
  
Duo glared at her, "Do me a favor," he snapped, "Shut up and show me which direction he went." Startled, the woman complied, pointing towards town. Shaking his head, the braided boy headed off in that direction.  
  
"You'll never have what he needs!" She shouted after him, "With us at the circus is where he belongs! He'll never be one of you! Do Trowa a favor and send him home!"  
  
"Lady, you're crazy!" Duo shouted back.  
  
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Mathew listened to Robin's giddy chatter. She was bubbling over with excitement of the evening plans she had made for the two of them. He wasn't so much listening to what she was saying as to the delightful sound of her voice.  
  
"I thought that maybe after dinner we could go to the outdoor symphony hall!" She was saying as she crossed the street, "That conductor you like is directing the composures I like."  
  
The blare of a car horn and the squeal of failing breaks were the only warnings.  
  
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To be continued. 


	9. Sandrock was no more Chapter eight

+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+  
  
Chapter eight  
  
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Robin froze, a scream caught in her throat as she stared at the military jeep that was speeding towards her. The blonde ran at the girl's voice, catching her and pushing her out of the vehicle's way. They both hit the ground hard. The car swerved off, doing a 180 and crashed into the side of a brick building.  
  
The blonde groaned rubbing the side of his head. Slowly, he opened his eyes. His sticky hands were covered with dark red blood. "Uh!" He gasped, blinking his eyes several times, rubbing them, shaking his head, "I don't believe it!" He uttered, blinking his eyes again, "Robin! I can see!" Joyfully, Mathew looked around to finally see the face of that matched Robin's gentle, kind, happy voice.  
  
What he saw made his blood run cold. A petite young woman with auburn hair lay on the ground unconscious. Blood was spreading onto the curb from where it flowed from a wound on the side of her head.  
  
"Robin?" He asked gently shaking her shoulder, supporting the base of her neck.  
  
The girl's eyes fluttered open, "M.Mattie?" she grimaced in pain.  
  
"Ssshhh," He quieted, "Try not to move."  
  
"Mattie." She reached up to touch his face, "I love you."  
  
Mathew yelled as she went limp in his arms, "ROBIN!" Frantically he looked about him at the bystanders, "SOMEONE CALL AN AMBULANCE!" He screamed, "Robin, Hang in there!"  
  
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From inside the car, a pair of half hidden emerald eyes watched the blonde boy as he tried to stench the blood flow of the young girl he had saved. "It's not. possible." The emerald eyes blinked several times before they closed and their owner lost consciousness.  
  
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"Hiiro! Please don't kill me!" Duo pleaded into the vid phone, his hands together as if in prayer, "I swear it's not my fault!"  
  
"What are you babbling about Baka?" Wu Fei scowled, his ill temper seeping through his demeanor.  
  
"Please! Promise you won't kill me!" The braided boy was desperate, "Please promise!!"  
  
"I'm going to kill you if you don't tell me what your problem is RIGHT NOW!" Wu Fei threatened.  
  
"Uh." Duo moaned with indecision. He began to bang his forehead with his fist.  
  
"Duo, it's okay, I won't kill you." Hiiro said in his stoic voice.  
  
The braided boy heaved a deep sigh, "Trowa's gone."  
  
"YOU LOST HIM!?" Wu Fei shouted, "YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO WATCH HIM!"  
  
"I didn't lose him. exactly," Duo cringed, "I know exactly where he is."  
  
"And where is that exactly?" Hiiro demanded.  
  
"Sanque General, emergency ward. under police guard."  
  
"WHAT!? HOW THE HELL DID THAT HAPPEN!?"  
  
"He stole a jeep and ran over two pedestrians." Duo explained nervously.  
  
"YIEAAHHH!" Wu Fei snarled, turning his back and leaving the sight of the phone. Off screen Duo could hear crashing and the breakage of items in the back.  
  
"Wu Fei, don't touch my lap top." Hiiro warned, "Duo, why would he do something like this?"  
  
The braided boy shrugged, "I'm not sure, it has something to do with Catherine."  
  
"You didn't call her yet.?"  
  
"Nu-huh, but she was with Relena and Dorothy at the palace."  
  
Hiiro's eyes narrowed, "Duo, shadow Trowa. Do not get involved with the police. We'll meet you there."  
  
"Right the braided boy acknowledged, hanging up the phone.  
  
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Mathew hesitantly walked down the hospital ward. Something deep inside of his heart told him that he needed to face the person responsible for Robin's accident. It was a strong forceful pull that moved his feet closer and closer until he stood at the door.  
  
Suddenly, a mixture of fear, remorse, loneliness, and grief bombarded the blonde. It was overwhelming and nauseating for him. He almost collapsed and would have if he were not holding the door knob so tightly. The fear, he recognized as his own, but the other emotions were another's.  
  
'It's the same as before.' Mathew thought his hand clenched tightly at his chest. "Trowa.?"  
  
He still didn't know who Trowa was, but maybe he was about to find out. Slowly he turned the knob and stepped into the room.  
  
The lights were dim and it appeared that the occupant of the bed was asleep. Slowly the blonde crept closer.  
  
"It's him!" The boy exclaimed in a hushed voice. "The boy from my dreams!"  
  
The boy was an older teenager. Tall for his age. He had pale skin and appeared to be thin. His dark reddish brown hair covered half his face. There was a bandaged cut over his visible left eye. His right hand was handcuffed to the railing.  
  
Sorrow swept through the blonde. Moved, he reached out and gently brushed the bandage. His aquamarine eye watered, "I did this to you, didn't I?" He whispered, "I'm so sorry. I don't know what I did, but I'm so sorry." Tears fell from his eyes, splashing soundlessly onto the floor.  
  
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'Quatre.' Trowa's mind called, 'I could have sworn I saw him. heard him.Quatre?' Slowly he opened his emerald eyes. Even in the dim lighting, he could see the shine of hair the color of pale spun gold, and the tears that framed his round, childlike face. 'IT IS HIM!'  
  
Slowly he reached out with his free hand to wipe the tears away, "It's okay, Quatre." He whispered, his voice raspy.  
  
The blonde boy looked startled that Trowa had woken, but he also looked confused and frightened.  
  
"Where have you been?" Trowa asked gently straining to sit up, "I looked all over for you."  
  
The blonde backed away, his body quaking in visible fear.  
  
"Wait." Trowa pleaded, his free hand reaching for the other boy, "Quatre!" His emerald eyes implored the other boy to stay..  
  
A sharp pain of panic pinched at the blonde boy's heart, "I. I think you have the wrong person.!" He grimaced before bolting out of the room and down the hall.  
  
"QUATRE?" Trowa cried.  
  
+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+  
  
"Give me a break, Hiiro!" Duo complained loudly as they all stepped off of the elevator, "There was no way for me to have known that he'd go and pull a stunt like this!"  
  
"You were the one who said how much he hated her." Hiiro reminded the boy, yanking on the end of Duo's long braid.  
  
"YE-OW! DAMNIT HIIRO!"  
  
"Why would Catherine be talking to Relena and Dorothy anyway? I didn't even know that they knew each other." Wu Fei frowned pushing past the two bickering friends, "Now which room is Barton's?"  
  
"258." Duo grumbled rubbing the back of his head, "Down the hall, around the corner, 3 doors on the left."  
  
"And the police guard?"  
  
"Should really stay off the laxatives." The braided boy grinned, quite pleased with himself. Hiiro and Wu Fei stared at the American.  
  
"Okay, I don't even want to know." Wu Fei said walking down the corridor.  
  
"What!?" Duo demanded, "Hiiro said I couldn't use 'aggressive means'!"  
  
"Yui said that?" Wu Fei snorted in disbelief.  
  
"I did." Hiiro confirmed. Wu Fei cocked an eyebrow at the Japanese boy. "Battles should be limited to situations were nothing else will work."  
  
"Come on, guys, Trowa's room is down this way." Duo said rounding the corner.  
  
WHAM! +*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+  
  
To be continued. 


	10. Sandrock was no more Chapter nine

+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+  
  
Chapter nine  
  
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"Maxwell, are you." Wu Fei's voice drifted off as he and Hiiro froze in disbelief, "It's.It's not possible."  
  
"AH-GEEZE!" Duo groaned from where he had landed hard, rubbing his sore but, "Watch where you're goin' will ya!"  
  
"I'm sorry!" a familiar voice apologized. Duo blinked at the pale hand that extended to help him up, "Forgive my clumsiness."  
  
Slowly the braided boy lifted to see the face belonging to the hand, "Quatre.?"  
  
The blonde boy opposite of him looked startled and he retracted his hand, taking a step backwards. His aquamarine eyes looked uncertain.  
  
Duo leapt to his feet, "QUATRE! IT IS YOU!" He exclaimed overjoyed.  
  
The blonde took another half step back. Panic radiated from him.  
  
"Uh, Duo." Hiiro started, his hand reaching to restrain the enthusiastic boy.  
  
"IT'S BEEN FOREVER, Q-MAN! GOD I'VE MISSED YOU!" Duo attacked the blonde with a huge hug, "If you've been alive, why didn't you come home?" He asked, holding the other boy at arms length, "You know what? It doesn't matter! YOU'RE BACK NOW! Oh, man- have you seen Trowa!? He's going to be ecstatic! He's missed you soooo much!" The braided boy wrapped the blonde in another hug, "YOU'RE BACK! YOU'RE REALLY BACK!!!"  
  
"AAHH!" The boy screamed, pushing the overenthusiastic boy away, "LEGGO!"  
  
"Quatre!" Duo exclaimed confused and slightly hurt, "What is it? What's wrong?"  
  
"Who are you?" the blonde demanded, "I don't know you!"  
  
"Quatre." Duo stared, "What do you mean 'Who are you'? I'm your best friend!"  
  
The blonde made to flee but the sharp searing agony that ripped threw his chest drove him to his knees.  
  
"QUATRE!" Duo exclaimed, scrambling to the boy's side. "Talk to me Q- man!"  
  
Slowly those aquamarine eyes turned to the braided teenager, "D.D. Duo...? It hurts.Everyone is in so much."  
  
Duo caught him when he passed out. Utterly confused, Duo's violet eyes stared searchingly at Hiiro and Wu Fei, "What's the matter with him?"  
  
The Japanese boy knelt by his partner and his supposedly dead friend. He ran his hand through the boy's blonde bangs, "My guess is either he was brainwashed or he's suffering from amnesia."  
  
"Remembering and his empathic sense going into overdrive must have been too much for him." Wu Fei thought aloud to himself.  
  
"Trowa was right." Duo murmured amazed, "He did survive the explosion. He's been alive this entire time."  
  
Hiiro turned slightly, "Wu Fei, you can go retrieve Trowa yourself?" The Chinese boy nodded and took off down the hall.  
  
"Hiiro.?" Duo whispered not looking up from the small Arabian in his arms.  
  
Hiiro looked at the braided boy, "What is it Duo?"  
  
"He's been alive this entire time. Hiiro." the braided boy lifted his amethyst eyes, "What have we done?"  
  
"We didn't do anything, Duo." The Japanese boy frowned.  
  
Duo visibly shuddered, "I know! That's what I mean! Hiiro, we didn't look for him, we didn't help him. Hell! We didn't even believe Trowa! How could we?"  
  
"Let's get him out of here." Hiiro said lifting the blonde boy into his arms. Duo remained on the floor. "Duo?"  
  
"I'm supposed to be his best friend, Hiiro. but I." He drifted off, "God, Hiiro."  
  
The dark haired boy reached down with one hand pulling on the braided boy's arm, "Come on, Duo. You can have a guilt trip back home, but we need to get out of here."  
  
Numbly the boy nodded and pulled himself to his feet. Silently they waited for the elevator.  
  
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Wu Fei knocked lightly on the hospital door 258. Silently he crept inside, "Barton?" he called softly, "Barton!"  
  
Trowa groaned, rubbing his eyes with his free hand, "Wu Fei?"  
  
The Chinese boy walked over to his friend's bedside, "Damnit, Barton!" He complained taking out his lock picks, "Why did you have to and do a stupid stunt like this?"  
  
But Trowa wasn't listening, "I saw Quatre.I thought I saw Quatre." He whispered, his face a mask that failed to hide his self loathing and pain, "I. I thought he had come back. come for me. but he left... He left me again.Oh, God! Why can't I just die!?"  
  
"Because then you wouldn't be able to help him." Wu Fei answered, unlocking the handcuffs. Trowa looked at him confused. The Chinese boy grinned, "That's right, Barton, Quatre did come back. You did see him."  
  
The banged boy shook his head slowly as his friend helped him to his feet, "He's gone. he ran away."  
  
"Ran smack into Maxwell." Wu Fei's grin got wider as his friend tried to grip what he was being told.  
  
"Quatre's." He started slowly, wincing in discomfort as they left his hospital ward and headed down the hall, "Quatre's really back? I didn't imagine it?"  
  
"If you did, then so did the rest of us."  
  
"Quatre." Trowa murmured, falling into a deep unconscious state, dropping in dead weight.  
  
The dark haired boy scowled, "Damn you." He swore as he tried to heft his friend onto his shoulder for a better balance, "You couldn't wait to pass out till we got to the car?"  
  
+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+  
  
/'Please, believe me, Trowa? Believe that as long as I have breath I'll always return to you?'/  
  
Trowa's eyes flew open, "QUATRE!" he cried, his heart beating hard in his chest. His hand reached into thin air grabbing at nothing but darkness.  
  
Someone over by the window put their finger to their lips, "Ssshhhh." They ordered, "He's sleeping, you don't want to disturb him."  
  
"Sally?" Trowa squinted rubbing his temple.  
  
The woman walked over to him and handed him a pair of white tablets. "Aspirin." She said, offering him a glass of water, "for your headache."  
  
Gratefully the banged boy accepted.  
  
"Wu Fei called me." Sally explained, "He wanted to make sure your injuries weren't too severe, he also wanted me to examine Quatre to make sure that nothing was done to him."  
  
Trowa's emerald eyes flashed, "Done to him!?"  
  
"It appears that he's lost his memory, or rather a large part of it. He knew your name, and he recognized Duo, but he doesn't have a clue as to who he is. Hiiro and Wu Fei wanted to be sure that he wasn't brainwashed, drugged or hypnotized."  
  
He couldn't swallow the lump in his throat, "Wa.was he?"  
  
"No. He wasn't." Trowa sighed with relief and visibly relaxed, "It appears that his amnesia is a result of the explosion." Sally's eyes misted, "I. I still can't believe that he's here. alive.it doesn't seem possible."  
  
"He promised that he'd be back." Trowa whispered, "Quatre has always kept his promises."  
  
"I'm happy for you, Trowa." Sally smiled, "You get a second chance to be with the one you love, don't waste it."  
  
"I don't plan to." Trowa answered in all seriousness, "I lost him once, and I'm not losing him again."  
  
"Get some rest. He'll be asleep till morning." Sally smiled and left the room.  
  
Slowly, Trowa felt himself drifting into a more restful slumber then any since that God awful day. In his mind in stead of horrid nightmares were the most pleasant of dreams.  
  
/'.believe that I'll always return?'/  
  
'I do. I do believe you, Quatre.'  
  
+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+  
  
"Okay, I think I've got a solution." Hiiro said typing into the computer.  
  
"It's about time, Yui." The Chinese boy grumbled from his seat on the floor, "What is it?"  
  
"Lt. Noin kept a Taurus suit in the safe house in Lisbon. That's about three hours from here. We could retrieve the suit and use it to taxi our Gundams out. That way the engines would not have to be activated."  
  
"But how would we get all four of them into the air and keep them there with out destroying the Taurus? It could only move one suit at a time."  
  
"Once in the air, at a high enough altitude, the Taurus would release the Gundam. As it free falls, we can use a remote to detonate the verniay engines and they would explode in mid air." Hiiro explained.  
  
Wu Fei leaned over the Japanese boy's shoulder watching the computer screen. After a moment he looked at the other boy, "Well, it's the first idea to have not blown up in our faces during the simulation. Let's give it a try."  
  
Hiiro gave a curt nod, "Hn."  
  
"I'll go and get that Taurus." Wu Fei said heading out the door towards the jets.  
  
"Hurry back, we don't have a whole lot of time left."  
  
Wu Fei gave a slight wave and was gone. Ten minutes later, Hiiro heard the sound of the engines as they took off, and sped off into the mid afternoon.  
  
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To be continued. 


	11. Sandrock was no more Chapter ten

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Chapter ten  
  
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Bright morning sunlight streamed through the large balcony windows, waking the boy. 'I'm not in the hospital.' The blonde realized rubbing his tired aquamarine eyes, looking around 'I don't know where I am. but it feels familiar and I'm not afraid.' Slowly, he unsteadily got to his feet and began to explore his surroundings.  
  
The room looked like a shrine. Trinkets were on dressers and shelves along with photographs and other memorabilia. In the pictures, he noticed, were the emerald eyed brunette and a blonde boy that resembled himself in many ways.  
  
He picked up a photo and walked to a mirror. He stood and examined the boy in the picture and himself. They were identical, except for the boy in the photo looked several years younger.  
  
"That was taken three days after we met." A quiet voice informed him.  
  
"T.Trowa." The boy's eyes looked sad.  
  
"I was thinking." the brunette interrupted, "that you'd like to shower get some clean clothes, and then have some tea and breakfast. Maybe afterwards you could look around the grounds until the visiting hours open at the hospital. I'd be more than happy to take you to see your friend."  
  
"That would be great, thank you."  
  
"Quatre." Trowa began, "I want you to know that no matter what happens; you'll be okay." The boy just nodded and placed the picture back.  
  
"You don't smile." The boy observed pointing to several photos.  
  
"Some of them were taken by Catherine before I met you. I didn't have much to smile about."  
  
"Catherine is.your sister?" Quatre looked uncertain.  
  
"Yes." Trowa confirmed, looking pleased, "Well- sort of. She looked after me while I hid at the circus. She acted like an overprotective sister, so that's the role we adopted."  
  
The blonde nodded slowly, "Past tense?"  
  
Trowa sighed, "Yeah, well. I fight a war, travel from space to earth and back again several times, lose the love of my life and she doesn't think I can handle myself. She loathes the fact that I'd rather stay here in the safe house then in the circus traveling from colony to colony with her." He shrugged, and led the blonde into the bathroom getting him some towels. "Anyway, just over a year ago, we had a major fall out. I told her that I didn't want to ever see her again. I hadn't even talked to her until two days ago."  
  
"I'm sorry." The blonde murmured.  
  
Trowa glanced at the smaller boy, "Don't be. It was bound to happen sooner or later." He handed Quatre the towels. He then stepped back and cocked an eyebrow, "You've gotten taller. I'd say a good three inches." A smile crossed the usually emotionless mask, "I do believe that you're taller then Duo now."  
  
Quatre blushed with embarrassment, "I guess he can't call me shrimp anymore, huh?"  
  
"I guess not. Hey, you're remembering a lot!" Trowa suddenly realized.  
  
Quatre's blush turned a deeper shade of red, "I.I suppose I am. It's like. everything clicks into place the more I'm here.the more I'm with you.being here.It feels so right."  
  
"Quatre, this is great!" Trowa was practically ready to explode he was so overjoyed.  
  
The blonde couldn't help but laugh, "I still don't remember a lot, however, I'm positive I have never seen you behave this way before. Trowa, you're almost giddy you're so happy. I don't think you've ever displayed this much emotion."  
  
The smile drained from the taller boy's face, "I did once." He said.  
  
"Really? When?"  
  
"The day Sandrock blew up." Trowa said quietly.  
  
"Sandrock?" The smaller boy's eyes lost their joy, filling with pain. Suddenly, he hunched over, grabbing the sides of his head, whimpering like a frightened puppy.  
  
"Quatre?" Trowa shouted catching the boy as he fell to his knees, "Are you okay?"  
  
"It hurts, Trowa." The boy struggled, his body quaking with frustrated sobs, "It hurts so much."  
  
"It's okay, little one. Just calm down, take a deep breath." Trowa soothed, "I know how much it can overwhelm and frighten you. I know how much it hurts to remember, I do. but you can't fight it or it'll hurt worse." He wiped away the blonde's tears and drew him close.  
  
Quatre gasped for breath as he tried to calm himself. He then fell against the taller boy, losing himself in that warm comfort. Soon, the steady sound of his breath alerted Trowa that the smaller boy had fallen asleep.  
  
A small smile crossed his face as he continued to rub the blonde's back. "You were there for me when I needed you, Quatre. Please allow me to be here for you now?" Trowa whispered. He brushed the blonde strands away from the boy's face. As if in response, Quatre gave a soft mew and snuggled closer.  
  
"Knock, knock." An upbeat voice called, "Don't get mad, Tro- I did knock!"  
  
"In here, Duo." The banged one beckoned, "Just keep it down, okay?"  
  
"Uh, sure, Trowa." Duo said in a quieter voice leaning against the bathroom door frame. The braided boy gave his friend an odd look, "Uh, Tro- why are you sitting on the floor? Is Quatre okay?" He asked surprised when he noticed the blonde asleep in the other's arms.  
  
Trowa sighed sadly, glancing down at the other's sleeping face, "I think he's fighting his memories. Good memories like the time we've spent together, he's slowly, but most defiantly remembering. But when I mentioned Sandrock's destruction." Trowa paused. The boy in his arms cringed and whimpered in his sleep. "Ssssh, you're okay." He reassured the blonde until his slumber became peaceful again.  
  
"I see what you mean." Duo whispered. "So what do you think?"  
  
"I think more happened to him then we realized and it's too painful to cope with. So he's forced himself to forget it."  
  
"You think his amnesia is purposlly self inflicted?" Duo stared at the banged boy in disbelief, "Quatre's not that type of person!"  
  
Trowa frowned thoughtfully, "No, not purposlly. Subconsciously. He's always had someone around to help him through rough time, whether he realized it or not."  
  
"Except that time he built Wing Zero." Duo pointed out.  
  
Trowa nodded as the blonde began to shiver. "Help me put him to bed?" He asked.  
  
"Of course." Duo knelt to pick up their friend. "Something bad happened and he went crazy because he was alone."  
  
"He made a vow, after he had found me, that no matter how bad it became for him, he would never do something like that again. I'm wondering if this amnesia is his defense against that?" Trowa explained, tucking Quatre into bed.  
  
"If you can't remember, It won't haunt you." Duo mumbled as Trowa passed a lingering finger along the blonde's cheek. "But it does haunt him, doesn't it?"  
  
"He needs to know that he's safe. That he's no longer alone."  
  
"It's Quatre." Duo shrugged, "He's afraid to burden anyone."  
  
"It's not a burden to me." Trowa whispered.  
  
"I know." Duo shook his head, "It wouldn't be a burden to any of us. We're family."  
  
Trowa smiled thinking about that, "That's true, however, it won't do any good until he realizes it."  
  
"You know, Trowa, I think you need to realize that too." Duo quirked an eyebrow at the banged boy, "It would have made the time Quatre was gone easier on you."  
  
Trowa fell back into his normal emotionless silent self, "Hn."  
  
"I don't think I've seen you so open as you have been these last few days!" Duo grinned, "I'm relieved. You were like the walking dead!"  
  
"I was dead, Duo."  
  
"Mmmm."  
  
"Duo, why'd you come here anyway? I thought Hiiro told you to give Quatre space."  
  
"Oh, yeah!" Duo perked up, "He did, but you have a visitor, and I didn't think Q- man should be by himself."  
  
"A visitor? Who is it?" Trowa scowled.  
  
"No one you'll be pleased to see, I'm sure."  
  
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To be continued. 


	12. Sandrock was no more chapter eleven

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Chapter eleven  
  
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"Trowa!" Catherine's overjoyed voice called, "I'm so relieved to see you are doing well."  
  
"What do you want, Cathy." Trowa frowned, crossing his arms.  
  
"To talk to you. To bring you home where you belong."  
  
"I am home, Catherine!" Trowa snapped, "I am where I belong!"  
  
"Oh, Trowa, that's because you don't know any better." The woman chided, "But your big sister knows what's best for you."  
  
"Good, then you'll leave and not look back."  
  
"I can't do that, Trowa." Catherine smiled sweetly. The look sent chill down the banged boy's spine and her next words made his blood run cold. "You're still a minor."  
  
"N.Nani`?" he stepped back, shocked. "What are you talking about? I turned eighteen earlier this year."  
  
"No, silly. You're going by some random day that some moron gave you somewhere along your life." She reached into her back pocket and pulled out a slip of paper, "But according to your birth certificate, you won't be eighteen until the end of this year."  
  
"What the Hell are you talking about?" Trowa yelled, grabbing for the paper, "There is no way in Hell that you'd be able to get my birth certificate. I've been alone since the day I was born!"  
  
"Actually, it's a very interesting story." Catherine said, quite pleased with herself. "I'll be more than happy to tell it to you on the way home. You should really offer your thanks to Dorothy, though. I never would have found it if it wasn't for her. Now, if you would please go gather your things, we can be on our way."  
  
"He's not going anywhere." Hiiro's voice carried down from the top of the stairs.  
  
"I'm not giving him a choice." Catherine pulled out another slip of paper. "I have custody over him, which extends until he's twenty one."  
  
"You can't do that! You don't have the right." Trowa yelled at her.  
  
"I do so have the right as your only living relative."  
  
"Damn it, Catherine." Trowa snarled, "When are you going to get it through your head? I'm not your brother!"  
  
"But you are, Trowa, and I can prove it."  
  
"I think you should leave." Wu Fei's voice came from behind the woman.  
  
"If I have to return with the police, it won't be pretty." Catherine's gray-violet eyes narrowed hatefully, "If Trowa doesn't turn eighteen until next year, and he's the oldest of the four of you. You'll all be taken into custody and I'm sure that as a result of your terrorist activities. It won't be a day at the circus."  
  
"Leave. Now." Hiiro ordered sending down his death glare.  
  
"Fine, I'll leave." Catherine said turning to go, smirking at the Chinese boy as she passed. Wu Fei glared at her, his arms crossed over his chest. "But I promise to return."  
  
"Thanks for the warning." Trowa said as he pushed her out the door.  
  
"What was her problem?" Wu Fei asked as Trowa slammed the door.  
  
The banged one didn't answer. He stared at the closed door, seething in fury.  
  
"Barton." Hiiro barked getting the boy's attention. "Calm yourself or you'll disturb Quatre."  
  
Trowa's anger melted into concern for the smaller blonde, "Quatre." Trowa heaved a sigh, his emotionless mask finding its way back to his face.  
  
"What's going on?" Duo hissed coming up from behind the Japanese pilot, "Quatre went all freaky, screaming something about Trowa being taken away?"  
  
"Is he alright?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess so." Duo looked over his shoulder towards the bedroom. "He didn't wake up, just started to thrash around. He's calmer now."  
  
"Why don't you go back and sit with him until he wakes." Hiiro ordered, "Then get him some food." The braided boy mock saluted as he spun and headed back to the bedroom. The Japanese boy shook his head in mild irritation then turned his attention to the Chinese boy, "Wu Fei?"  
  
"I got it." He assured. "It's a hunk of junk though. I would have thought Noin would have taken better care of her mobile suit."  
  
"Where did you put it?"  
  
"The other hanger. I didn't want to risk a bomb being planted on the Taurus too."  
  
Hiiro nodded, "Go tell Duo that he'll pilot it in three hours." Wu Fei nodded and bounded up the stairs. Trowa was about to follow when Hiiro stopped him, "Hold on a minute."  
  
The banged boy stopped, his look indifferent. "What is it, Hiiro?" The other boy faced him, staring into the depths of his eyes. 'The routine.' Trowa almost smirked. "Don't worry, Hiiro, I'm not going to kill myself. Quatre's back."  
  
"That doesn't mean that you haven't gone crazy." The stoic boy said. "Duo told me how he found Catherine after you stole her jeep. She was bleeding."  
  
"I didn't strike her if that's what you're getting at." Trowa frowned slightly, "Give me some credit."  
  
"You've become very unpredictable in this past year." Hiiro pointed out. "More emotional than I or any of us have ever seen."  
  
"Is that a bad thing, Hiiro? We're not in war anymore. Do we need to be as detached?"  
  
"No." Hiiro admitted, "It's not necessary. -Unless you take it too far."  
  
Trowa glared, "I didn't strike her, Hiiro."  
  
"Then what happened?"  
  
Trowa's glare deepened, "I don't have to explain myself to you or anyone else."  
  
"Trowa." Hiiro called as the taller boy pushed by him. "As a friend, I'm." The stoic boy paused, trying to come up with the right expression, ".concerned about you. You haven't been yourself. You're under a lot of stress. If I can. I want to help."  
  
Trowa rolled what Hiiro was trying to say around his head. After a few moments he turned back to his friend. "She jumped in front of the jeep as I was leaving." His shoulders slumped, "I didn't mean to, but she didn't leave me time to react."  
  
Hiiro nodded. "If she comes back, It's going to be Hell."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Will she come back?"  
  
"She'll be back."  
  
The friends stood in silence for several minutes.  
  
"I'm going to inspect the Taurus. Send Duo down when you see him." Hiiro said heading out the door.  
  
Trowa nodded and headed up stairs.  
  
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/'I hope you said goodbye.'/ The voice taunted, a blurred face popped up on his view screen, /'Don't worry, I'll take good care of Trowa.'/  
  
"TROWA!" The blonde screamed jolting awake. Instantly there were arms wrapped around him, comforting him.  
  
"It's okay, Quatre." Trowa soothed to no avail. The smaller boy continued to shudder, mumbling inaudibly, "What is it?"  
  
He shook his head violently, his eyes tightly shut.  
  
"Quatre, tell me." Trowa frowned. "Please, Little one? I want to help."  
  
"It hurts, Trowa." The blonde whispered. "I'm afraid. Does that make me weak?"  
  
"No. It doesn't."  
  
The boy buried himself in the taller boy's embrace. Silence fell between them for several minutes before the boy began to speak again. "Trowa, can you tell me what happened?"  
  
"When?" Trowa swallowed the lump that had lodged itself in his throat.  
  
"Before I disappeared?"  
  
".Sure, Quatre." The banged boy sighed deeply before recounting the fight they had, the kiss, the mid air explosion, his personal devastation. He stopped just before going into the funeral's details.  
  
The blonde was quiet, thinking about what he had heard along with what he had just dreamed. After a while he finally spoke, "Trowa. I.I think there was someone there. on Sandrock's communication line. I think they were responsible for the bomb."  
  
"Really?" The banged boy quirked an eyebrow, "Do you know who it was?"  
  
"No." He shook his head, "But if I saw them-I'd know."  
  
Trowa smiled, kissing the top of the boy's head, "Little one."  
  
"Hmmm?" The smaller boy looked up at him.  
  
"Nandimoni." Trowa smiled, "Would you like some breakfast? Then I can take you to see your friend."  
  
"I am hungry." The boy admitted.  
  
Trowa stood, pulling the blonde with him, "You can wash up and I'll go order some brunch to be made. I'll be back in twenty minutes?"  
  
"Okay." Quatre smiled, "Thank you, Trowa."  
  
"You're welcome, Quatre."  
  
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Robin was watching a cheesy soap opera when Quatre knocked on her door, a bouquet of flowers in his hands, a smile on his face. "Mathew!" She greeted, a wide smile of her own crossing her face, "Where have you been? Are you okay?"  
  
The blonde reached over, minding her I.V., and giving her a hug, "I'm better than okay."  
  
"You can see." She grinned.  
  
"And I remember." He smirked, "Well, bits and pieces, but more of the puzzle has been filled in. I have most of my life back."  
  
"Really?" she asked surprised, "Mathew that's great!" She then paused, "I guess your name isn't Mathew, is it?"  
  
The blonde shook his head, "No, It's Quatre. Quatre Rababa Winner."  
  
"Winner!" She gasped, "Quatre. You're from the colonies. Your family has the majority of the natural resource satellites. You're famous." She frowned, "I wonder why I didn't recognize you from before. I'm sorry, I could have had you back to your family by now."  
  
"It's okay, really." Quatre smiled softly, "They thought I was dead. Actually, they still do."  
  
"You should give them a call." She said, "I'm sure that they'll want to get you back as soon as possible."  
  
"I can't." The boy shook his head, "Or rather, I don't want to."  
  
Robin frowned, confused, "Why, Quatre? They're your family."  
  
"I found Trowa." He whispered. "Actually, he found me."  
  
"Really." her frown saddened, "That's great, Quatre. I'm happy for you."  
  
"Robin?" Quatre asked, "Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah!" she smiled with false sincerity. "I'm fine. The doctor said that I can leave tomorrow morning."  
  
"I want to thank you for everything you've done for me." Quatre said. "I hope we can remain friends."  
  
"I'd like that, Quatre." She smiled. "So what's it like?" She asked, "What's it like being you?"  
  
Laughing, he told her what he remembered. She then told him what she knew of his family and its business. It was far too soon when a light knock rasped against the door.  
  
"Quatre.' A tall teenager with reddish brown hair that covered half his face called from the doorway. "Visiting hours are almost up, and we need to get home."  
  
"Okay, I'm coming." The blonde said looking at him. The other boy nodded and left.  
  
"Trowa?" Robin asked.  
  
Quatre's face flushed, as he nodded. A small smile on his face. "I'm still missing parts of my past, but I know that I loved him deeply."  
  
"I can tell." She squeezed his hand, "I think you still do."  
  
Quatre leaned over and kissed her cheek, "I'll call you in a few days, Okay?" He asked, "We can go for a walk or to see a movie?"  
  
"That sounds perfect." Robin agreed. "Goodbye, Quatre."  
  
"Laters, Robin." The blonde waved.  
  
+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+  
  
There were police cars in front of the estate when Quatre and Trowa arrived home.  
  
"Kuso." Trowa swore backing the car up and parking it behind some bushes.  
  
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To be continued. 


	13. Sandrock was no more chapter twelve

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Chapter Twelve  
  
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"What's going on?" Quatre whispered as Trowa lead him around the back of the house, away from the police.  
  
Trowa glared, "Catherine." He answered, "She's gone too far this time."  
  
"Where are the others?" the blonde looked around.  
  
"In the hanger with the Gundams."  
  
"Where are we going?"  
  
"Up." Trowa looked up at the tree they were crouched behind. "It leads to Duo's bedroom. We can get into the house this way."  
  
"Trowa." The smaller boy looked uncertainly at the high window.  
  
"Quatre, do you trust me?" Trowa demanded.  
  
The blonde was startled by the question, "Of course I do, Trowa."  
  
"Then please, Koi, don't ask any questions. I'll explain everything later, but first I need to get into the house and make a phone call." Silently the smaller boy nodded. "Okay, then up the tree." He gave Quatre a small boost then reached up and pulled himself onto the branch. "Keep going, Quatre." He coaxed.  
  
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Catherine was furious. At least one of the four boys should be around here somewhere.  
  
"Miss, Are you sure this is the right address?" A police man asked, looking skeptically at the mansion. "It seems a bit much for four unsupervised teenagers."  
  
"I'm positive, Officer. They were just here this morning." She crossed her arms, "Did you look around in back? Or in the gardens?" She demanded.  
  
"We have, several times, Miss." The officer said with a tinge of annoyance.  
  
"I want my brother to be brought home." She said, "He wouldn't come willingly. If he saw you then he's probably hiding. Go look for him."  
  
"Miss, this is a private residence. We can't go barging in unless we know for sure that he is here."  
  
"I told you he was here this morning." She snapped.  
  
"We'll give it another ten minutes before we take action." The officer told her.  
  
"Fine." She sneered.  
  
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The alarms were going crazy through out the hanger. Hiiro, Duo and Wu Fei were trying to view the security cameras.  
  
"Damn." Duo swore, "It's Catherine."  
  
"And a squad of police and several officials from child services." Wu Fei frowned annoyed, "What do they think we are? 12?"  
  
"Apparently Trowa isn't the age he thought he was." Hiiro said in his stoic voice.  
  
"And how do any of us know exactly how old we are?" Duo scowled, "I mean, Quatre does, well at least he did. anyway, that we can easily look up. and Wu Fei, you do, right? . But Hiiro and I sure don't."  
  
"What's that?" Wu Fei interrupted the babbling boy, pointing at the far screen.  
  
Hiiro magnified it. "It looks like Trowa and Quatre."  
  
"Hey! They're breaking into my room!" Duo objected, "They can't do that!"  
  
"Yes they can." Wu Fei sneered, "Because they just did."  
  
"I want a different room." The braided boy complained.  
  
"That can be arranged." Hiiro said, quirking an eyebrow at him, "We're going to have to leave this place when this is all over."  
  
"Damn." The Chinese boy swore.  
  
"Again.?" Duo whined.  
  
Hiiro shot him his patented death glare. Duo stuck out his tongue, as the image flickered and Trowa's face appeared. "What's up Tro-?" the obnoxious American greeted.  
  
"I've called Preventer Une." The banged boy informed them, "She said that if we are found, do not put up a fight."  
  
"Is she mad?" Wu Fei demanded.  
  
The banged boy shook his head, "No, She can use her influence to get us out by saying we're agents if we don't kill anyone. If we do kill someone, then we'll be held accountable for the murder."  
  
"What is your and Quatre's position?" Hiiro asked.  
  
"We're under the stairwell." Trowa informed, "Trying to stay out of sight."  
  
"Trowa." Quatre's soft voice whispered from off screen, "I think they're going to try breaking through the door."  
  
"Kuso." The banged boy swore, "Did you hear that?"  
  
Hiiro nodded, "Can you make it here with out being detected?"  
  
Trowa exchanged looks with Quatre, "We can try. But they've got this place pretty much surrounded."  
  
"Hiiro." Quatre asked, "I own this house, right?" The dark haired boy nodded, "And my sisters knew that I was living here, right?" again the boy nodded, "Couldn't I just ask them to leave because they're trespassing?"  
  
Hiiro thought about it, "That might work. It might not. Quatre, most of the world still believes you're dead. The police might not believe you."  
  
"Oh." The blonde's expression saddened.  
  
"Trowa, you need to get out of there. If they do break in then they'll initiate a room by room search." Hiiro said.  
  
The banged boy nodded, "We'll see if we can't make it back to the car." He said, "I don't want to lead them to the rest of you. If we can get to the car then we can call from a pay phone."  
  
"Keep in touch." Hiiro ordered.  
  
"Hey Tro-." Duo called.  
  
"Trowa." Quatre's voice pressed as there was a thud at the front door.  
  
"Quick, Duo."  
  
"Don't let anything happen to him." The braided boy ordered.  
  
"Wouldn't dream of it." He assured cutting of the connection.  
  
Duo looked at his friends, "I hope they'll be okay." He mumbled.  
  
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The taller boy grabbed the blonde by his wrist, pulling him along as the door burst open.  
  
"Damn." He swore ducking behind a door, holding Quatre close.  
  
"Trowa." the blonde whispered, "I can at least distract them for you.please let me try?"  
  
"No, Quatre." Trowa firmly shook his head, as the police walked past and began to explore the upper rooms. "We just need to lay low." He held the boy tighter. Quatre nervously bit on his bottom lip.  
  
After several minutes, Trowa peeked out from his hiding place. The coast looked clear. "Come on." He whispered, "We can hide in the pantry." The blonde nodded, squeezing the taller boy's hand. Trowa smiled, and gave a quick kiss on Quatre's forehead, before bolting out of hiding.  
  
"Triton! There you are!" Said the voice that stopped them cold, "Where are you going?"  
  
Trowa glared at the woman as he pushed Quatre behind him, "This isn't going to work, Cathy." He warned.  
  
"I told you I would come back with the police." She sneered, "Why don't you just come peaceably and save everyone a bunch of heart ache?"  
  
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Quatre was hidden by Trowa's body. Apparently, his fast reaction had prevented the woman from seeing him, but Trowa had been caught. He shuddered as he listened to their bantering. 'That voice.' he thought. 'I know that voice.'  
  
/'I hope you said goodbye.' The voice taunted, a blurred face popped up on his view screen, 'Don't worry, I'll take good care of Trowa.'/  
  
He gasped. "It's her." He whispered, "Trowa.It's her. the person from Sandrock!"  
  
"What?" Trowa exclaimed looking over his shoulder.  
  
"I'm positive, Trowa." Quatre whispered.  
  
"Triton, who are you talking to?" Catherine demanded, storming over to him and pushing him out of the way. "Y.You!" she sputtered taking a step back from a distraught Quatre.  
  
"Trowa, she's the person that I saw on Sandrock's screen! It was her voice!" Quatre insisted over Catherine's agitated ranting.  
  
"You can't be here! It's not possible! I killed you.I saw you blow up! I was at your funeral." The woman's volume was increasing.  
  
"Catherine?" Trowa glared at her.  
  
"He's lying, Triton! Every word." She accused.  
  
"Why would Quatre lie to me?" he demanded, "He has no reason to."  
  
"I'll kill you!" She shrieked attacking the blonde, her clawed hands poised for his throat, "I'll make sure that you stay dead!"  
  
Trowa caught her arm and roughly pushed her away, "You will not touch him." His icy tone promised severe consequences if she ignored him.  
  
"Triton," Catherine pleaded, "He is a liar. He doesn't love you. He could never love you." She attacked again. "I'll make him pay for hurting you!"  
  
"Catherine!" Trowa shouted grabbing her arms and twisting her into a restraint, "Leave him alone."  
  
"I'M GOING TO KILL HIM! I'M GOING TO MAKE HIM PAY!"  
  
Quatre backed away, his chest throbbing.  
  
"Everyone. Freeze!" The police officer barked, his gun aimed at Trowa. "Young man, I want you to release her slowly."  
  
"You won't let her hurt him." Trowa demanded, his emerald stare left no room for argument.  
  
"I'll shoot anyone who moves without my say-so."  
  
Trowa nodded and slowly released the crazed woman.  
  
"Kid, are you all right?" The officer asked. He got no response.  
  
"Quatre." Trowa called, his voice low.  
  
At the sound of his name the blonde snapped out of his daze. He looked at the taller boy, a mystified expression on his face. He then uttered words that sent Trowa through the roof, "I remember. everything."  
  
"Really?" Trowa asked. The blonde nodded. "That's great." He started to go to the boy, but the officer stopped him.  
  
"Take one step and I'll shoot." He warned. Trowa sighed and remained in place. "Kid, are you okay?" The cop asked again.  
  
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." Quatre replied.  
  
"He's not fine. He's lying." Catherine shouted, "He tried to kill me!"  
  
"What!?" The boys exclaimed together.  
  
"That's not true." Quatre denied, "I never touched you."  
  
"You were the one who was trying to kill him!" Trowa glared at her angrily.  
  
"Oh, Triton. You're confused." She chided. "You don't know any better."  
  
"I'M NOT TRITON!"  
  
"Enough." The officer shouted. "Lady, I don't know what kind of game you're playing here, but I've had enough."  
  
"Kid, do you want to press assault charges?"  
  
Quatre exchanged glances with Trowa, "Yes, I would."  
  
"Actually, officer." Trowa asked, raising an eyebrow, "Wouldn't it be attempted murder? She did attack him with the intent to kill. She said so herself." He watched in silent satisfaction as Catherine's face ranged between disbelief and betrayal.  
  
"You're right. I don't think there is a single cop here who didn't hear her threats. Catherine Bloom, You're under arrest."  
  
"Triton? How could you do this to me?" Catherine wailed, "ME! Your own sister!"  
  
"Get her out of here." The cop barked. He turned to the kids that were watching the police struggle to put a fighting Catherine into the patrol car. "Kids, we're going to have you come down to the station and fill out a report."  
  
"Right now?" Quatre frowned. Trowa placed a supportive hand on his shoulder and the blonde relaxed slightly.  
  
"We're expected somewhere." Trowa said. "Is it possible to do it later?"  
  
The cop studied them closely, "I've got child services out there. They aren't going to let some minors live by themselves."  
  
"Sir, I guarantee that we are all eighteen or older." The blonde assured with a note of authority. "I can have the birth records sent over if you would like."  
  
"Alright." The older man sighed scratching his head, "In that case, I need at least your names and numbers where I can reach you." The cop said. "You need to come down and file a report within two days or we'll have to release her." The boys nodded and the cop took out pen and paper. "Names?"  
  
"Trowa Barton."  
  
The cop looked at him, "Not Triton Bloom?" the banged boy shook his head. "Okay, Trowa Barton.and you?"  
  
"Quatre Rababa Winner." The blonde said.  
  
Again the cop looked doubtful, "I heard you were dead."  
  
"It's a long story." The boy said quietly.  
  
The cop shrugged, "Number?" Quatre looked at Trowa and the banged boy supplied a number. "Alright, boys. Remember, two days."  
  
"Thank you." Quatre said ushering him out.  
  
"That was a bit unexpected." Trowa mused, watching the squad drive away. "We probably could get her on trespassing if we wanted." Quatre shook his head and leapt at the taller boy, who barely reacted in time to catch him as the blonde threw his arms around Trowa's neck. "Quat.?" The blonde placed a finger over his mouth quieting him.  
  
"I remember everything." The smaller boy reminded his love.  
  
Trowa couldn't help it. A huge smile broke through his mask and he lifted the boy up and spun him around. "Quatre.MY Quatre!" He murmured into the boy's ear. "I've missed you."  
  
"I told you I'd return." The boy reminded him.  
  
"I know." Trowa smiled, before drawing him up into his arms and kissing him deeply. "I know."  
  
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"Aw, isn't that cute." Duo cooed, earning himself two glares from his friends, as he and the others watched on the security monitor.  
  
"Shut up, baka." Hiiro scowled, yanking on the boy's long braid causing him to yelp in pain.  
  
"DAMN IT, HIIRO!" He protested rubbing the back of his scalp, "Why do you insist on doing that?"  
  
Hiiro didn't answer, but he was finding it difficult to hide the smirk that threatened to break through his mask.  
  
"You should be grateful that he didn't threaten to kill you." Wu Fei said, his arms crossed as he turned away from the screen. "Now if you don't mind, some of us have work to do."  
  
"He can threaten me all he wants." Duo said under his breath. "It won't do him a bit of good." That earned him two more glares, one promising ultimate death if he didn't cut it out. "You can't kill death." He explained smugly, his amethyst eyes twinkling with mischief.  
  
Hiiro snorted, "Don't tempt me to try."  
  
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To be continued. 


	14. Sandrock was no more Chapter thirteen

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Chapter Thirteen  
  
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The Taurus was damaged, but he still had to dispose of Deathscythe and there wasn't a lot of time left.  
  
"Duo, are you sure about this?" Hiiro asked over the communications line.  
  
"Yeah, it's the last suit." The braided boy answered, "And then we can trash the Taurus too."  
  
"The final hook up has been completed." Wu Fei's voice announced.  
  
"You only have about twenty minutes left, on the timer." Trowa informed him. "Finish as quickly as possible."  
  
"But be safe." Quatre's voice cut in.  
  
"Don't worry, Q-man!" Duo grinned, "There's no way I'm missing your 'Back to life' party." He smirked, "Especially since I'm the one planning it."  
  
"A 'Back to life' party planned by Shinigami." Someone joked, "That's a good one."  
  
"Hiiro? Was that you?" Duo laughed, "I do believe you're developing a sense of humor, man!"  
  
"Duo, you're running out of time." Trowa reminded him.  
  
"Let's finish this then!" Duo shouted in maniac glee. Skillfully, he worked the white suits' controls and began to taxi his Gundam out of the hanger. Slowly, but surely they ascended into a higher altitude where he would activate the verniay engines by remote, thus activating the bomb and destroying Deathscythe.  
  
"I'll see ya in Hell, buddy." Duo promised, a sad not in his voice, his hand on the detonation button.  
  
"DUO!" Hiiro's voice cut in on the communication line, "You have in coming Aries and Leo from the North- Get out of there!"  
  
"Nani?" Duo exclaimed dropping the button, "Kisama! Where, Hiiro?" He frantically looked around his sensors and screens, "I can't see them.Hiiro?"  
  
The radio cackled static.  
  
"Duo Maxwell." A voice addressed over the line.  
  
"Huh, Hiiro?" the braided boy frowned, "Hiiro, answer me!" He pounded the panel with his fist, "Hiiro!"  
  
"Shinigami, do you know what death feels like?" The voice asked almost innocently.  
  
"Nani?"  
  
"You'll have to tell me about it sometime." An image appeared on the Taurus' screen.  
  
Duo visibly paled as he laid eyes on the small black box's timer, "Hiiro."  
  
"See you in Hell." The voice mocked.  
  
"Uh." Duo stuttered speechless fumbling to find the detonator.  
  
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"Duo. Duo." Hiiro all but shouted into the com, "DAMN!"  
  
"What's the problem?" Wu Fei demanded.  
  
"Something is jamming our transmissions and Duo's under attack!"  
  
"He's a Gundam pilot, Hiiro; he can take care of himself." Wu Fei offered.  
  
"He's not in a Gundam and the Taurus is damaged beyond repair." Hiiro told him, "I counted four Aries and three Leos before I was disconnected. He'll be annihilated!"  
  
"If he were to detonate Deathscythe, the enemy suits would be destroyed as well." Wu Fei suggested.  
  
"Along with his Taurus." Hiiro frowned burring his head in his hands. Wu Fei cocked an eyebrow.  
  
"Yui?"  
  
Hiiro looked up, "I can't do anything for him."  
  
"He's smart. Duo'll figure out something. Besides," the Chinese boy smirked, "He said it himself, 'You can't kill death'."  
  
"Hai, you're right, Wu Fei." Hiiro said turning his attention to the static filled screen. 'Please be alright, Duo.'  
  
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He had the detonation devise and had pressed it, however, much to Duo's horror, neither of the cables keeping Deathscythe attached to the Taurus, had released upon command. He looked at the view screen again at the small black box. The timer just went to two minutes. The braided boy bit his bottom lip as he weighed his options.  
  
"Deathscythe, old buddy, are we going to Hell together after all?" He whispered, the timer counting back to a minute, thirty seconds. "It doesn't seem fair! We just got Quatre back!" The cheerful face lost its mirth, "I was supposed to throw him a party- I can't give up, Deathscythe!" he all but shouted.  
  
The machine groaned as the Gundam's weight shifted, snapping one of the cables.  
  
Duo reached behind his seat for his parachute and tried to open the hatch. It was stuck. "DAMN IT!" he screamed kicking at it, "I won't die in a time such as this!"  
  
59 seconds.  
  
"Do you hear me, Deathscythe? I'm not." He kicked the door harder, "Through!" The hatch gave way, "Yes." He yelled leaping from the Taurus.  
  
30 seconds.  
  
Duo was freefalling, trying to put as much distance between himself and the doomed Gundam. 'Still.' he thought gravely as the wind in his face made it difficult to see or breath, 'there's not enough time left, and I gotta deploy my chute or I'll be bug splat no matter what.but I gotta. gotta get away.'  
  
15 seconds.  
  
'Damn!' Not enough time.'  
  
10 seconds.  
  
The Aries was the first to attack, the Leos close behind. Taurus began to disintegrate, sending fiery debris hailing down around the falling boy.  
  
5 seconds.  
  
Duo had no choice; he had to deploy his parachute. He yanked on the release cord.  
  
4.3.2.  
  
The explosion sent out a shock wave incinerating the Gundam, Taurus, the attacking suits and the braided boy's silk chute. Screaming, he plummeted the rest of the distance to earth, trying to get his backup chute to deploy.  
  
Thankfully it did.  
  
It wasn't far, but the force of the explosion and the impact of hitting ground was sickening. Duo could hear some bones in his body snapping as he rolled until he came to a stop in a bruised and bloody heap.  
  
Groaning, the boy forced his eyes open, "H.Hiiro." He gasped out before unconsciousness graciously took him.  
  
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Hours later the boy awoke, with a splitting headache along with agonizing pain through out the rest of his body. Gingerly, Duo tested each of his limbs. Remarkably, none of them appeared to be broken. His midsection, however, was a different story. No matter how he moved, flaming agony screamed against it.  
  
"You shouldn't move to much kid." A gnarly old voice advised. "I ain't no doc, but I can tell you're hurt bad."  
  
Duo plastered his trademark, carefree grin on his face, hiding his pain, as he forced himself to his unsteady feet. "It's not too bad," He smirked, turning to face the speaker, "I'm not dead yet."  
  
"I suppose." An elderly old man pondered stroking the stubble on his pointy chin. "I wonder though, what a kid like you's doing way out here in the middle of nowheres?"  
  
Duo cocked his head to the side, "Nowheres? What do you mean? I can't be to far from Paris."  
  
"Pareece? Boy, you're at least half days drive from Pareece." The old man cackled.  
  
"Half a day. Hiiro's going to flip over this one." Duo frowned, his hand rubbing at his pained side. "Hey listen, I need to get back to the city fast. Do you know where I can find a ride?"  
  
"I'm heading to Pareece on business next week." The old man drawled, "Nobody else has a runnin' veehical."  
  
"But I gotta get there now!" Duo pressed. "I can pay you for gas, and you're time." The old man stared at him. "Please." Duo pleaded.  
  
The old man cackled, "Sure boy. I need to stock up on whiskey anyhows." He gestured for the braided boy to follow him, "The truck's over this a way."  
  
Duo sighed with relief and immediately winced in pain. "Do you have a phone that I can call my friends with?" he asked, limping after the old geezer.  
  
"Yeah.at least I think it's workin'." The old man's brow furrowed, "Rat's like to chew at the wires." He shrugged. "If you's can get its to work, then you's can use it."  
  
"Arigato." The boy said gratefully.  
  
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Hiiro was pacing around his room very agitated. "Kisama." He swore again. He looked over at his lap top, and at the Vid phone. There still hadn't been any word from Duo. The stoic boy sighed exasperatedly. "Come on, Duo.You can't be dead. You can't kill death." A soft knock on his door caused the Japanese boy to jump. 'Kisama, get a grip, Yui.' He silently lectured himself, 'Duo can take care of himself.'  
  
"Hiiro?" A soft voice called, "May I come in."  
  
Hiiro frowned, 'Quatre. Figures that he'd come see me. That boy probably knows exactly what I'm feeling thanks to that cursed sixth sense of his.'  
  
"Hiiro, please?"  
  
Silently he went over and unlocked the door. Quatre stood there, his face masked with concern. "So what do you want, Quatre?" He asked coldly, moving aside for the boy to enter.  
  
"Hopefully to calm you down a little." The blonde boy said, a soft smile on his face along with the concern.  
  
"I'm fine." Hiiro said, his eyes stealing away to his lap top and Vid phone.  
  
Quatre followed his gaze, "I know that, Hiiro. But, you're also very worried. about Duo." Hiiro didn't answer. "I just thought that some company might help." The boy smiled, "I know that whenever Trowa's away, I always fear the worst."  
  
"He was under attack. The bomb exploded." Hiiro muttered.  
  
"It's okay to worry, Hiiro." Quatre said, "But you shouldn't panic until you have a reason to."  
  
"I'm not panicked." Hiiro glared.  
  
The blonde smiled, "Not yet anyway."  
  
They stood in silence for a bit, before Hiiro sighed, his shoulders visibly slumped in a sort of defeat, "Quatre.The war is over."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And without the Gundams, We probably won't have anymore missions."  
  
The Arabian's brow furrowed as he tried to follow what the stoic boy was trying to say, "Probably not."  
  
"So.I.I don't have to be the perfect soldier anymore?"  
  
"No, Hiiro, you don't."  
  
"I.I don't know how to be anything else."  
  
Quatre's face grew softer as he looked at his confused friend, "I suggest, Hiiro, that you talk to Duo about it when he gets home."  
  
The Japanese boy opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but the beeping alert of an incoming call interrupted him. Immediately he was at the phone, "Duo?"  
  
"Hey there, Hiiro!" A cheerful voice greeted though the picture was mostly static and out of focus.  
  
"Duo." Hiiro sighed with relief at the sound of his partner's voice. He didn't notice Quatre grimacing in discomfort as his hand stole up to his chest. "Duo, are you alright?"  
  
"Um. about as well as can be expected." The voice replied, cheerful as ever.  
  
"Where are you?"  
  
"Uh. about half a day from Paris." The braided boy replied, "I've got a ride to town and should be back later tonight."  
  
"Duo." Quatre cut in, "Are you sure you're okay?"  
  
"I'm sure, Q-man." Duo shrugged, "I'm a little banged up; it was a rough landing. But really, I'm fine." The blonde nodded accepting this answer and turned to go, "Wait, Quatre."  
  
"Hmmm?" the Arabian paused.  
  
Duo's face became completely serious, "The last time you were in Sandrock, there was someone on the communications with you, right?"  
  
The boy nodded, "Hai, Catherine, Why?"  
  
"And Catherine is in Jail?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Duo, what are you getting at?" Hiiro interrupted, noting the puzzled look on the braided boy.  
  
"Someone broke through the Taurus' communications." He answered before the line went dead.  
  
Hiiro stared at the blank screen, "What happened?" He demanded.  
  
"His connection was lost." Quatre said, stating the obvious, "I'm sure it was nothing, the connection wasn't that great to start with."  
  
Hiiro nodded, turning off his phone.  
  
"At least you know he's alive and for the most part, well." Quatre pointed out, "And he said that he'd be back later tonight." Again, Hiiro just nodded, his mind elsewhere. "Come on." The blonde said grabbing his arm and pulling him out the door. "Let's go tell the others. You're not the only one who has been worried about him, you know."  
  
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To be continued. 


	15. Sandrock was no more chapter fourteen

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Chapter fourteen  
  
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Trowa handed his koi his favorite light blue coat. "Wu Fei, we're going down to the police station. Hopefully, we won't be too long." He called out.  
  
The Chinese boy nodded, appearing at the top of the stairs, "I'll call your cell phone if Duo comes back, or calls."  
  
"Don't forget, Wu Fei." Quatre frowned looking at his wrists. His sleeves fell two inches short of where they were the last time he had worn this jacket.  
  
Trowa smirked, eyeing the blonde's dilemma. "Would you like to use one of my coats?"  
  
Quatre nodded, removing his too small garment, handing it back to Trowa, who left to find a larger one. ".That we'll be moving to the new safe house once Duo returns?" He finished looking back up at the Chinese boy.  
  
"I'll make sure that both Duo and Hiiro are ready." Wu Fei promised, "I'm already to go, myself."  
  
The blonde nodded, accepting Trowa's dark green trench coat. "We'll call you if it takes to long." He said as he walked towards the door, slipping on the coat. The sleeves covered his hands, hiding them completely. He scowled, 'It's a lot big.' He thought, 'To small, to big? I don't fit in anymore.do I?'  
  
Trowa paused on his way out, noticing the dark look on Quatre's face, "What's wrong?"  
  
"Nandemoni." The smaller boy smiled, pushing the troublesome sleeves up, and continuing out to the car, the taller boy following close behind.  
  
Trowa had been driving for several miles in Quatre's silence as the blonde stared out of his window. "Koi, what's wrong?" He asked, concerned.  
  
Quatre looked up, startled out of whatever train of thought he was engulfed in. "Huh?"  
  
"You seem troubled." Trowa observed, shifting glances between the road and Quatre.  
  
"Oh. I was just thinking." The boy shrugged, "In general."  
  
"You want to talk?" Trowa pressed.  
  
Quatre sighed, turning his glance to his hands that were folded neatly in his lap, and the long sleeves that had fallen back down. He scowled again. "A lot has changed, hasn't it?"  
  
Trowa frowned slightly trying to grasp what was bothering the other boy. "I suppose so."  
  
"I feel." the blonde stopped, and sighed again.  
  
"Quatre, it's okay." Trowa encouraged, "Tell me what's bothering you."  
  
Quatre glanced over at the banged boy. He was thinner, like he hadn't eaten well in a long time. He also had dark circled around his visible eye, like he hadn't slept well either. The look in those emerald eyes was different than what he remembered. Quatre could still feel the other boy's love, but now. it reached his eyes too. in fact, a range of emotions were clearly displayed on Trowa's face. He had lost most of the mask that had hidden his deepest person for the longest time. Quatre then thought about Hiiro. How frantic he was before hearing from Duo, and even after, how the Japanese pilot openly worried for his friend. 'No.' Quatre amended, 'Not friend. Love. Hiiro, openly, loves Duo.' The blonde thought about the braided boy. Duo hadn't changed all that much that Quatre could see, but the blonde was now taller than him. And Wu Fei. He seemed to be more sociable, even a little bit. Quatre had yet to see him yell at Duo, or get into a staring contest with Hiiro. "Everyone's changed so much." Quatre finally whispered.  
  
"So have you." Trowa pointed out, gently, stealing another glance away from the road.  
  
Quatre's aquamarine eyes grew teary, but he refused to allow them to fall. "Have I?"  
  
Trowa frowned, and pulled the car off the side of the road. Putting it into park, he turned to the troubled blonde, ignoring the confused look about his abrupt actions. "Quatre, what is it? What's bothering you really?"  
  
"I.I." Quatre stammered, trying to find his words.  
  
Trowa placed his hand on the boy's shoulder, "Little one, I want to help."  
  
Quatre allowed Trowa to pull him into his arms, and quietly, the blonde began to cry into the other's coat. "Everything's so different! I feel like I don't really belong here!" He blurted out in a rush, "You've all lived a whole year without me! I'll never know what you all went through.It's like I didn't exist! Like I still don't exist."  
  
"Quatre." Trowa's frown deepened, "Quatre, I." He felt at a lost for words. "Quatre. I'm sorry."  
  
"I'm not that boy that everyone thinks I am." he whispered, "I don't think I can ever be him again."  
  
"Quatre.?" Trowa asked, fear entering his heart, his soul.  
  
"I'm not as close to everyone as I was."  
  
"You're close to me."  
  
"Can we really just pick up where we left off?" Quatre pulled away, frowning at the banged boy, confusion written on his child like face.  
  
Trowa ran a finger along the contour of the blonde's cheek. 'It's not so child like anymore.' He noted wryly. 'Not such a little one.'  
  
"Can everything truly be as it was?" Quatre demanded, "Is that even possible?"  
  
"No, Quatre. It's not possible." Trowa admitted reluctantly, "But nothing ever stays the same. Your relationships with the others and myself would have changed whether you were there or not. It's part of growing up and the passage of time. It's not something that can be helped."  
  
"Trowa."  
  
"I really don't think it's as bad as you think." Trowa said thoughtfully, "Everyone still loves you, still holds you dear.They're really glad that you've come back. I think you just have to give it some time. We all do." The banged boy offered a gentle smile and Quatre couldn't help but smile back.  
  
"Thank you, Trowa." He whispered.  
  
"No problem, Little One, I hope I was at least, some help?" He asked drawing the smaller boy close for a hug.  
  
The blonde nodded, "A big help."  
  
"Was there anything else on your mind?" Trowa asked.  
  
Quatre frowned thoughtfully, "Actually."  
  
"What?"  
  
The blonde shook his head and smiled, "Let's go to the station, and then I'll be able to tell you what afterwards. Okay?"  
  
Trowa shrugged, "Okay." He started the car and pulled back onto the road.  
  
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Robin stepped into her dark apartment, closing the door behind her. She walked through the hall, ignoring the messages on the machine, into the living room. 'It seems so big and empty.' She sadly thought to herself, 'I didn't think he'd stay forever. but.' She fell onto the couch and sobbed, "I didn't think he'd be gone this soon!"  
  
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At the police station, Trowa and Quatre pushed themselves through a rough crowd, "I didn't think it ever got this busy here." The taller boy frowned. Quatre shuddered, his hand going to his chest.  
  
"We just made a major drug bust." The receptionist explained when the boys finally reached the front desk, "Now what can I do for you?"  
  
"We're here to file a report." Trowa said, keeping an eye on Quatre, who was wandering off, "We were told to come by."  
  
The receptionist nodded and took some forms out of various folders. Clipping them to a clip board, she handed them to the tall boy, with a pen. "You can go into room 4. Down the hall and to the left. Ya can't miss it." Trowa nodded, "Bring them back to me when you're done."  
  
"Thank you." Trowa said, looking for where the blonde had disappeared to, "Quatre?"  
  
The blonde was standing in front of a glass door. On the other side were cell blocks. In the end one was Catherine. "She is here." Quatre murmured to himself. He looked confused.  
  
"Quatre?" Trowa asked, resting his hand on the boy's shoulder.  
  
Quatre looked up at him. "Do you really think she deserves to be in there?" He asked.  
  
Trowa frowned, "She did try to kill you, on more than one occasion, Quatre. Plus she's been harassing me for the longest time. Why? Do you not think so?"  
  
The blonde looked back at the girl. She was huddled in a far corner, rocking back and forth. She looked frightened. "No, Trowa, I don't.I.I mean look at her." He turned his gaze back to the taller boy, "Yes, she tried to hurt me.us. but does she deserve this?"  
  
Trowa sighed, a faint smile on his face. "That's one thing that will never change about you, Quatre." He said, "You're full of kindness and forgiveness."  
  
"I didn't say I forgive her." The boy scowled, "She cost me a year away from you. It's going to be a long time before I forgive her.if ever." His expression softened, "I just don't think this is the right solution."  
  
"What do you suggest?" Trowa asked, looking at the pitiful view behind the glass.  
  
Quatre thought, "Is there a way we could have her committed? I mean. she is emotionally disturbed, and obviously crazy. She needs help, not imprisonment."  
  
"I can look into it if you would like." Trowa agreed, "But if not, then will you press charges? If she isn't locked up somehow then she'll just keep coming after us."  
  
Quatre nodded, and allowed Trowa to lead him away to talk to an officer.  
  
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Hiiro was trying to keep busy.  
  
Another shirt was carelessly thrown into the suitcase on the bed.  
  
He had to keep busy.  
  
If he didn't have something to do, something to occupy his mind.  
  
The Japanese boy growled and threw the suitcase across the room, spilling the contents onto the floor. Aggravated, he flopped onto the bed, and stared at the ceiling. "Damn you, Duo." He grumbled. "Where are you?"  
  
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To be continued. 


	16. Sandrock was no more Chapter fifteen

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Chapter fifteen  
  
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Duo could not make heads or tails out of the old geezer. Amazingly, the old fart talked more than the youth ever did. In fact, the braided boy had hardly said three words since his phone call was disconnected. 'Of course,' He thought while nodding at something Eli, that was the geezer's name, had spat out. The old man had a horrible habit of spitting while he talked, something that grossed Duo out completely. 'I'm not exactly up to carrying on a conversation.' The boy grimaced, his hand going to his side.  
  
"Yous are hurt bad, ain't cha boy?" Eli frowned, glancing at the braided boy.  
  
"No." Duo denied, wincing as the old man drove through a huge pothole that was in the middle of the road. Duo couldn't believe the ancient rust bucket that Eli had called a truck actually ran. It seemed as if it would fall apart with every pothole and bump.  
  
"You knows," The old man pondered, stroking the stubble on his chin, "That other boy was hurt bad too, couldn't even wake up."  
  
That caught the braided boy's interest, "What other boy?" he asked.  
  
Eli looked over at Duo. The boy had an intense look that went beyond pain in those odd colored eyes of his. "About a year ago, little blonde boy. Fell right out of the sky like you."  
  
"Quatre." Duo whispered amazed, momentarily forgetting his pain. "You saved Quatre."  
  
"He was all covered in blood, I drove him to the hosptile. Dunno what happened ta him." Eli frowned, "Anyways, yous should go."  
  
"I'll be fine." The braided boy insisted grimacing as the truck jostled him around some more.  
  
The old geezer shrugged, "A'rights. We should be there in a bit."  
  
"I really appreciate this." Duo said.  
  
"I needed my whiskey."  
  
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Trowa and Quatre had returned from their errand an hour ago. They retired early to their room early, claiming to have had a hectic afternoon. Quatre had looked emotionally drained. Wu Fei had spent the day organizing the transfer to the new safe house, and had retired early too.  
  
Hiiro lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He tried to sleep, repeatedly telling himself that the braided baka was fine and that as soon as Duo got home he was going to give him a piece of his mind. "Baka." Hiiro muttered, twisting in the sheets.  
  
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The old truck crawled up the driveway, sounding every bit as if it were about to die. Duo looked up at the windows. 'Everyone must have gone to bed.' He frowned noting the lack of lights, 'Well don't everyone worry about me at once.'  
  
"Yous live here?" Eli gawked at the three story mansion and the massive grounds that surrounded it.  
  
Duo grinned, as he began to crawl out of the rust bucket, "For a while anyway. Hang on a minute and I'll go get your money." The boy turned and limped up the stairs, pausing at the top to enter a key code for the security system. A few minutes later, he returned, handing an envelope over to the old man. "Thanks again."  
  
Eli opened the envelope and whistled when he saw how much cash was in it, "Whewee, that'll buy lots o' whiskey."  
  
"You and your damned whiskey." Duo grinned, and waved as the truck putted back down the driveway. When it was out of sight, the boy's face twisted in pain, "Damn." He swore heading back inside.  
  
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Hiiro heard an unfamiliar vehicle approaching the estate. Being as paranoid as ever, he retrieved his gun from under his pillow and crept over to the glass doors. Carefully as not to be seen, he peered out, and through the balcony railing. At first he didn't see anything, so he opened the door a crack and listened.  
  
"You and your damned whiskey." The Japanese boy heard in a familiar tone.  
  
Hiiro visibly relaxed.  
  
Duo was home.  
  
He lowered his weapon and walked out onto the balcony. He watched as the braided boy limped back to the house. Hiiro quirked an eyebrow, 'He's limping?' Silently he went back through his room and down to the kitchen where the braided boy usually went after returning from a mission late.  
  
"He's not here." Hiiro scowled, flipping on the kitchen light.  
  
The dark haired boy turned and went back upstairs to Duo's room. Considering that the boy might already be asleep, Hiiro pushed the door open without knocking. The room was empty, the window was opened. Hiiro's scowl deepened. "Baka."  
  
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Duo stretched out lazily on the roof. His amethyst eyes were half closed as he looked up at the moon. He was home, but he couldn't sleep. 'I just got too much on my mind.'He sighed, then winced in pain; his hand absentmindedly went to his side. '.and I hurt way too much! I must have cracked, or maybe even broken some ribs during that last hauling.' He thought, "When I destroyed Deathscythe.Damn I'll never hear the end of it."  
  
"Never hear the end of what?" The stoic voice questioned, startling the American, causing him to jump. The Japanese boy sat down next to the braided boy, looking at him closely.  
  
"Wha- augh!" Duo grimaced, almost curling on himself, "Jeeze, Hiiro! What are you doing here?"  
  
"You didn't let us know you were home." Hiiro gave him a side ways glance, "You hurt?"  
  
"Not bad." Duo shrugged easing himself back down, one arm pillowing his head while the other tried to hide his injuries.  
  
Hiiro's eyes narrowed as he scowled at the braided boy, "Baka." He muttered, 'He's either in immense pain, or something is on his mind.' Hiiro paused and thought about it, 'or both.'  
  
They stayed like that in silence for several minutes before Duo's voice, softer, more serious than usual spoke up. "Hiiro? What will you do now? The war is over and the Gundams are gone."  
  
"I'm not sure." Hiiro admitted. "I want to find out who's responsible for these attacks on us. They'll pay."  
  
"But then what?" Duo pressed, "Will you go and stay with Relena?"  
  
Hiiro shook his head, frowning, "Duo, what's bothering you?"  
  
The amethyst eyes squeezed shut as a wave of pain passed through him. His fists balled.  
  
Hiiro's eyes widened as he noticed blood seeping through the boy's shirt, "Duo!" He pushed the boy's hands away and ripped open his shirt, "There's blood everywhere! Duo!"  
  
"You know." The braided boy spoke softly, "Wu Fei's got the Preventers, Trowa's got Quatre. and you've got Relena.But what do I have? Nothing. Being a Gundam pilot was all I had.Before, I might have gone to stay with Hilde, but now, she's dead.I'm a homeless nobody. I might as well just die here and now."  
  
"Don't talk like that, baka!" Hiiro snapped, taking off his tank top and trying to stop the flow, "How did this happen, Duo? Why didn't you get help if you knew you were injured?"  
  
"It's not that bad." Duo muttered, "You know. Professor G. always tells me that without the Gundam, I was nothing. Hell! I can't even be Shinigami without Deathscythe."  
  
"G. is a foolish old man, Duo. You know that."  
  
A dry wary laugh escaped the braided boy's throat as his eyes slid shut, "Lord of Pestilence."  
  
"DAMN IT, DUO!" Hiiro shouted at him, "Snap out of it!"  
  
But the braided boy didn't answer, His head lolled to the side. His eyes were tightly shut.  
  
"Duo! Duo!" Hiiro shook his shoulder, "Baka, you cannot survive the wars to die like this! You're stronger than that-Duo!"  
  
The amethyst eyes cracked open and stared glassily at the other boy, "I. I promised Deathscythe that we'd go to Hell together or not at all. It seems as if Deathscythe is holding me to my word.wince .after all, Shinigami doesn't lie."  
  
"You said it yourself, you're not Shinigami anymore."  
  
Hiiro's voice had a tinge of panic in it; something that Duo had never heard before. It took all of his fading strength to look the other boy in the eyes. Duo's mouth opened and closed slowly, but nothing came out.  
  
"DUO!"  
  
The boy's eyes had fallen shut again, and his body was still. frightfully still.  
  
A sense of terror, something Hiiro Yui had never felt before, seized the Japanese boy. Hastily he gathered the limp boy into his arms and leapt off the roof to his balcony below. "TROWA! WU FEI!" He hollered racing down the halls of the safehouse.  
  
"What is it, Yui?" Wu Fei scowled from his open bedroom door.  
  
Hiiro skidded to a stop in front of the Chinese boy, "Duo- he's hurt!" Hiiro's dark cerulean eyes looked frightened.  
  
Wu Fei scowled, 'That's weird.' He thought. Aloud, he ordered that Hiiro take the braided baka to the infirmary while he called Sally.  
  
Hiiro sped down the hall, grumbling, "Don't you dare die on me, you braided baka!"  
  
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To be continued. 


	17. Sandrock was no more Chapter sixteen

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Chapter sixteen  
  
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Violet eyes cracked opened, wincing in the blinding light. Disoriented, the braided boy looked around.  
  
Trowa dozed lightly on the couch. One hand supporting his head, the other rubbing small blonde's back as he slept against the banged boy's chest. Wu Fei was balanced on the window sill, staring out of it.  
  
'Hiiro. Where's Hiiro?" Duo thought scanning the room again.  
  
The blonde stirred then slowly opened an aquamarine eye. Upon seeing the braided on conscious, he smiled and moved to kiss Trowa, who in turn woke, a smile on his face despite the questioning look he gave the smaller boy. Quatre then turned his eyes back towards Duo.  
  
"Oh, hey, Duo." He said in a quiet voice, sitting up, bringing the blonde with him.  
  
"How do you feel?" Quatre asked, a gentle smile on his face. His eyes, however, were filled with worry and concern.  
  
"It's about time you woke up." Wu Fei grumbled.  
  
"Hi-ya, guys!" Duo rasped, a shaky grin on his face. "Where's Hiiro?"  
  
Quatre's smile broadened slightly, "Look down, Duo."  
  
Confused, the braided boy did. Hiiro sat in a chair that was pushed close to the bed, with his head resting in the nook of his arm. The Japanese boy grasped Duo's hand tightly in his own as he slept. "Hiiro?"  
  
"He hasn't left your side since you got out of surgery." Quatre explained standing and walking over to his friend. He took Duo's other hand. "He's been quite worried about you."  
  
"I. I don't." The braided one shook his head not getting it.  
  
"You had several broken ribs, Duo." Trowa informed him, "When you climbed onto the roof and when you jumped, they pierced several of your organs."  
  
"One sliced through your skin." Wu Fei added.  
  
"Sounds painful." Duo joked.  
  
"Duo, you almost died." Quatre whispered, his voice choked with emotion. Trowa rose and wrapped his arms around the boy's waist, resting his chin on his koi's shoulder.  
  
"But I didn't, right?" Amethyst eyes blinked.  
  
"R.Right."  
  
"Then don't worry about it." He chuckled lightly, before a rack of coughs erupted from his chest.  
  
Immediately, his three friends were at his side trying to calm him and Hiiro snapped awake, "Duo!"  
  
"Hey, Hiiro!" Duo grinned weakly, "What's up?"  
  
"You are, baka."  
  
"We'll.uh. go and get you something to eat." Quatre said as Trowa pulled him out the door.  
  
"Laters, Q-man." Duo called, his eyes not braking the intense stare down that Hiiro had locked him into.  
  
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"Do you think they'll be alright?" Quatre whispered as Trowa shut the door.  
  
"They'll be just fine." The banged boy assured, kissing the blonde's forehead, "You worry too much." He leaned over to kiss the blonde's cheek, "They need to take these first steps." He kissed the boy's lips, ".by themselves."  
  
"Trowa." Quatre giggled as his koi moved down to his neck, "What are you doing?"  
  
"What do you think?" Trowa asked, capturing the blonde's mouth and plundering it. Quatre moaned into the other's mouth, his arms snaking up around the taller boy's neck.  
  
"Oh, please." Wu Fei sweatdropped, "get a room"  
  
Quatre's face flushed as he pulled away. Trowa's eyes sparkled with mischief as he dragged his sputtering koi towards their bedroom.  
  
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Hiiro and Duo stared at each other in silence for a long time. Hiiro was amazed that the braided boy hadn't opened his mouth in nearly ten minutes. Duo was amazed that Hiiro hadn't started a lecture yet.  
  
And then they began to speak at once.  
  
"Hiiro, I-." / "Duo, Do-."  
  
"You first-." / "You first-."  
  
Then more silence.  
  
Finally, Duo sighed, breaking eye contact. "Hiiro, I'm sorry."  
  
"Sorry? What for?" Hiiro raised an eyebrow, confused.  
  
"For being an idiot." The braided boy mumbled, his hand going to his side, "I knew I was hurt bad. I knew that I needed help.I just." His voice trailed off.  
  
'Duo." Hiiro said quietly, "You.I. I was scared."  
  
The braided boy gapped, "Hiiro?"  
  
"What?" the other boy snapped, "You think I don't get scared?"  
  
"N.NO!" the braided boy looked hurt, "I just never thought you'd ever admit it. That's all."  
  
"Yeah.well." The Japanese boy looked flustered, "Trowa and Quatre both pointed out that without war, there's no reason for me to be the 'Perfect Soldier' anymore. Trowa said I don't have to be as detached anymore.I.I just." His face turned a bright shade of red.  
  
"Hiiro?" Duo pressed, trying not to embarrass the boy anymore than he was.  
  
"I don't know how to be anything else. It's all confusing to me." The cerulean eyes locked back onto amethyst eyes, "Quatre suggested that maybe. you'd be able to help me."  
  
"Wh.Why me, Hiiro?" Duo stammered, searching blindly for the end of his braid just for something to hold, amazed that maybe what he had dared not hope for was really happening.  
  
Hiiro's face grew a deeper red, "Because, I.I." He couldn't find the words he wanted, "Duo, I." The Japanese boy heaved a sigh, and tried to calm himself. Finally, he looked at the braided boy with determination, "Aishiteru, Duo."  
  
The braided boy's breath caught in his throat as he forgot to breath, 'Did.Did he really.' Duo's thoughts raced as fast as his heart beat. 'No, not Hiiro.'  
  
"Duo, did you hear me?" Hiiro asked, suddenly very afraid that he had done something wrong.  
  
Dumbly, the braided boy nodded slowly, "Hai, Hiiro, I heard you. I just. I can't believe." He paused as a thought struck him, snapping him back to reality, "What about Relena?" Duo frowned.  
  
Hiiro shrugged. "What about her?"  
  
"Hiiro. she's your girlfriend, isn't she?"  
  
Hiiro shook his head, "Just friends. It's always been just friends."  
  
Duo's jaw dropped and for the second time in half an hour, he was speechless.  
  
"Duo, I was worried about you." Hiiro started, fighting to find the right words, "I was afraid that you wouldn't come back.THAT scared me."  
  
"Hiiro, I."  
  
"Before you passed out, you asked me what I was going to do.if I was going to stay with Relena.The answer was no.I . I was hoping that maybe.you and I could stay here with the others."  
  
"Hiiro." a small smile spread across the boy's face. "Really?"  
  
The Japanese boy ran a finger along the braided boy's jaw line, "Really really."  
  
Duo snorted, failing to keep his face serious, wincing at the discomfort it caused. Hiiro looked hurt, and very confused, "Duo.?"  
  
The boy grinned, "Shrek." He stated. "That line's from Shrek.You hate that movie."  
  
"But it's one of your favorites, baka." Hiiro mock scowled, "You watch it day in and day out, How can I not pick up on lines?"  
  
"You're full of surprises today." Duo sighed, relaxing into his pillows. Hiiro smiled a real, heartfelt smile. The braided boy yawned, and blinked sleepily towards the window. Frowning, he realized that this wasn't the infirmary or his room, "Uh.Hiiro, where are we?"  
  
"Your new room." Hiiro answered. He went to the window and pointed out, "No tree."  
  
Duo smiled, "The new safe house?" Hiiro nodded. "That's cool."  
  
"You should get some more rest." Hiiro said, as he opened the door. "I'll be back later if you would like."  
  
The braided boy nodded, "I would.and could you bring Quatre? I need to ask him something."  
  
"About the communications?" Hiiro scowled. Duo nodded and yawned, then winced. "I'll bring him." Hiiro promised. "I'll also tell Sally that you've woken and need more painkillers."  
  
"Thanks, Hiiro." Duo smiled, his eyes sliding shut as he drifted off to sleep.  
  
Hiiro smiled, and quietly slipped out the door.  
  
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The cold blue eyes narrowed as she eyed the pathetic girl on the view screen in front of her. Catherine Bloom was sobbing hysterically, pleading for her help in getting out of imprisonment. "He had me arrested. me. his own sister! I don't know what to do. He's everything to me.and that bastard took him away." Catherine's tears became heated as her face burned with pure hatred.  
  
"Wait a minute." Dorothy asked, "Which bastard are we talking about?"  
  
"Quatre Rababa Winner." The brunette spat with contempt.  
  
The blonde raised an eyebrow, carefully guarding her anger from showing, "Quatre? He's alive?"  
  
"Yes, I don't know how. but he was there!" Catherine looked frightened, "He didn't look like a ghost.I didn't know who else to call." She wailed, "I only get one phone call."  
  
Dorothy smirked coldly, "Then you shouldn't have wasted it on a complete stranger."  
  
"Dorothy." Catherine pleaded, "Don't do this to me please.I need help, tell Miss Relena! Find Triton.He'll help me! I'm his sister."  
  
"I've very sorry, but I don't know you." Dorothy said reaching over to hang up the call.  
  
"Dorothy, PLEASE!" Catherine shrieked gripping the screen as if it was a lifeline, as a policeman attempted to remove her and bring her back to her cell, "They want to put me into an institution!"  
  
"I'm very sorry, Ma'am." An officer apologized, "She insisted that the person at this number would be able to help her."  
  
"I wish I could, Officer." Dorothy said in mock sympathy, "Unfortunately, I don't know that girl."  
  
"Very well then." The officer tilted his head, "Sorry to have bothered you."  
  
"Do make sure she is taken care of." Dorothy ordered, "People like that shouldn't be out on the streets."  
  
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To be continued. 


	18. Sandrock was no more Chapter seventeen

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Chapter seventeen  
  
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"Ohayo, Duo." Hiiro called, knocking lightly on the door as he opened it.  
  
"Ohayo, Hiiro." The braided boy greeted, his carefree grin spread across his face.  
  
"Are you up for some breakfast?" Quatre asked carrying a silver tray of pastries, orange juice and coffee and a package.  
  
"Are you kidding?" Duo smirked, straining to sit up. He smiled at Hiiro as the boy gave him a hand. "I'm starved!" The blonde smiled as he handed the eager boy the tray.  
  
The Arabian and Japanese boys watched in amusement as the American inhaled his food.  
  
"You're going to make yourself sick." Hiiro frowned when Duo gagged. "Slow down, it's not going anywhere."  
  
"I'm fine." The braided boy gasped out.  
  
"Here." Hiiro handed him the glass of orange juice, "Drink it slowly." He ordered, rubbing the boy's back.  
  
The braided boy nodded, taking small sips, "What's that?" He asked noticing the package on the tray.  
  
"I don't know." Quatre answered, "It came for you in the mail a few days ago."  
  
"Oh." Duo grimaced.  
  
"Maybe you should lie back down?" Hiiro suggested, taking the glass back.  
  
"Yeah." The braided boy agreed, allowing the other boy to help him.  
  
"I'll go get some more meds for you." Hiiro ran his hand through the boy's chestnut bangs, "I'll be back soon."  
  
"Hai."  
  
Hiiro turned to leave, but noticed that Quatre was off in his own little world. "Quatre?"  
  
"Hmmm?" The blonde looked up startled. Hiiro tilted his head towards Duo. "Oh, right, I'll stay with him." Hiiro eyed at the blonde for a moment longer before leaving.  
  
"Hey, Q-man." Duo frowned, "What's bugging you?"  
  
Quatre shifted his glance between Duo and the floor. With a heavy sigh, he walked over to the window and leaned against the sill, his fingers and face resting on the glass. His expression seemed lost.  
  
"You're going to leave streaks, Q-man." Duo joked. But the blonde gave no response to the quirk. "Quatre?"  
  
"I went with Trowa to the police station." Quatre frowned, "She was still in police custody."  
  
"Catherine?" The blonde nodded, "Then she couldn't have been the person on the screen."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Quatre?"  
  
"I know Catherine.or at least.I did." The boy's frown deepened, "Even if she managed to gain access to the necessary systems.I highly doubt she'd have the know-how to hack into anything, let alone the Gundam's communications."  
  
"I couldn't tell ya." Duo winced as he reached for the package. "Maybe she had an accomplice?-Do you have know who sent this?" He shook it by his ear.  
  
"No, sorry, I don't." Quatre mulled over the idea, "That does make more sense, if Catherine was working with someone. But who?" He looked at his friend, who was trying to peal off some tape. "Duo, do you think that's wise?" The blonde asked, "What if it's another little black box?"  
  
"Huh." The braided boy paused as if that had never occurred to him, "Well, I guess the only way to find out is to open it." He shrugged, and continued to tear at the brown packing paper.  
  
"Duo." Quatre groaned, when he was ignored.  
  
"Huh." Duo's face scrunched up, "It's a video disk." He lifted the said disk and handed it to the blonde, who scrutinized it. "We won't know what's on it until we play it."  
  
Reluctantly, Quatre walked over to Duo's large Vid screen and inserted the disk. Immediately a familiar face appeared and began to speak.  
  
"I think the others should come look at this." Duo whispered, emotionally distraught.  
  
"Hai." Quatre numbly whispered, ejecting the disk and leaving to find the others.  
  
"Hilde." Duo murmured, his eyes misting.  
  
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/"Hi, Duo." / The smiling young woman greeted, her dark eyes gleaming. /"If you're watching this then I'm dead.sorry about that. I left this with a friend so that if something happened, before I could get to you, then you would still get my message."/ Hilde's face saddened, and then grew serious, /"You are all in great danger."/ She said, /"If you think what happened to Quatre was bad, you haven't seen anything yet. They've gone crazy.obsessed.The three of them have completely changed. Maybe you have noticed too, maybe you haven't. I don't know how close you all are anymore." /She sighed, /"Duo, what happened to Quatre was not an accident. It was not an equipment failure; it wasn't even the bomb. at least not the one you found. By now, you have probably found the black boxes. If you haven't; look on the back of the right leg of your Gundams. They'll be there. Don't touch them! You'll have to destroy your suits somehow without using the verniay engines."/  
  
"A little too late." Wu Fei grumbled, followed by a chorus of "Sshh" from the other boys.  
  
/ "Duo, I know who's behind all of this."/ Hilde's recording continued, talking fast, /"I know why they're doing this, and I was probably killed in order to keep from telling you. I know.because they wanted me to help them. and for a little while I did, until I found out their true motivations.Mainly Her true motivation. The others are merely misguided pawns, and although they deserve your wrath, they also deserve your pity. Duo, I just want you to know that I had absolutely nothing to do with Quatre's death.I pulled out way before that happened. Honestly, it wasn't supposed to happen. I thought that if I pulled out, then they wouldn't be able to continue.I was wrong.I'm so sorry."/ The recorded voice chocked, and the girl on screen struggled to stifle her emotions.  
  
Wu Fei frowned, "When is she going to tell us who 'they' are?"  
  
Duo threw his pillow at the impatient boy, "SHUT UP." He hissed.  
  
/"They are three women."/ The disk played, /"One is obsessed over her long lost brother. Catherine has become delusional, and very dangerous. She'll stop at nothing to get what she wants. really none of them will. Catherine believes full heartedly that Quatre was responsible for keeping her brother from coming home. Actually, she held you all responsible. She hated him more than anything. She wanted him dead, she wants you all dead and she is willing to do it."/  
  
Trowa's face fell back into its mask, as he glared, his entire body tense, at the screen. Quatre winced as the taller boy's negative emotions bombarded the sensitive boy. "Easy, Trowa." He whispered, hugging his koi. "She can't hurt us anymore." Trowa looked down at the smaller boy, and relaxed somewhat.  
  
/"Catherine was the one responsible for Quatre's death."/ The picture wavered slightly, /"There's the will, and the way is Dorothy. She's the mastermind behind this. She's the dangerous one you have to really watch out for. Dorothy did this completely for sport. She wanted to make your lives miserable.I'm sorry to say, but I think she succeeded. Dorothy wants another war. She figured that if your Gundams were attacked then you'd think it was a new faction and rise up to fight. I don't know what she thinks you'll do without your Gundams.but that was her main goal." The figure on the screen took a deep breath. "Dorothy had the way, but not the means.Relena Peacecraft, however, does."/  
  
Hiiro sent a futile death glare at Vid screen, "Relena wouldn't do something like that." He muttered, "It goes against everything she believes."  
  
/"Hiiro, I know what you're thinking."/ The girl sighed, shaking her head, /"I'm not mistaken about this. Relena only agreed to do this because Dorothy assured her that no one would get hurt. She tried to put an end to it after Quatre.But I don't think Dorothy would let her. Dorothy can be a very vindictive Bitch. What Relena wanted was to destroy the Gundams. She felt that keeping them was hypocritical, and a danger to the peace that she was trying to maintain." / The girl frowned, her eyes finally giving in to the tears that had threatened to fall. /"As for the part I was to play. They needed supplies and someone who could follow design specs. They came to the salvage yard for supplies and had me build the black box. I didn't know what it was for and at first they wouldn't tell me anything, but when they did. Duo, I just wanted you to be happy. really I did. Duo, they promised me that I'd be freeing you, and the others. That you'd be able to live a normal life.I was soo tempted. but I knew that you'd never forgive me.Your Deathscythe means more to you then anything or anyone."/  
  
"Anything.but not anyone." Duo whispered, idly playing with the end of his braid, his head resting on Hiiro's shoulder. His violet eyes were tearing. Betrayal was never something he dealt well with. Hiiro took his hand and gave it a squeeze, a silent reassurance that it would be okay.  
  
/"I.I just want you to know. I am so sorry, Duo. If I could have stopped it, I would have.I tried, believe me, I tried.But some things are just not stoppable. I pray that you find it in your heart to forgive me, although, I know I don't deserve it.I pray this gets to you in time. and that you believe me."/ Hilde offered a small smile, /"I love you, Duo. Hiiro better take good care of you or I'll haunt him for the rest of his life. Goodbye."/  
  
Five pairs of eyes stared at the screen, dumbfounded.  
  
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To be continued. 


	19. Sandrock was no more Chapter eighteen

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Chapter eighteen  
  
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"Are we supposed to believe her?" Quatre asked quietly, breaking the silence.  
  
"Hilde would never lie to me." Duo said solemnly and just as quiet. "She." He wiped his eyes with his pajama sleeve.  
  
"It does make sense." Trowa pondered, "Why they were all meeting at the palace last week."  
  
"So what do we do now?" Wu Fei demanded. "This is the former Queen of the frickin' world, we're dealing with! We can't just go arrest her!"  
  
"I doubt the Preventers will want anything to do with this." Quatre mused, "It's one thing for it to be just Dorothy or just Catherine, but it's Relena."  
  
"I'll kill her." Hiiro said, standing from his seat on Duo's bed. The former pilot's Prussian eyes narrowed dangerously, promising to carry out the threat.  
  
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Relena Peacecraft was pacing around her room, very nervous. 'Quatre's dead . Hilde's dead . Duo's dead.Damn.' she couldn't control her breathing. "This is all my fault." She moaned. She was panicked, "Hiiro's going to kill me."  
  
"Now why would he do that, Miss Relena?" Dorothy asked.  
  
Relena spun around, startled and angry, "DOROTHY! How did you get in here?"  
  
"Through the door." The tall blonde sneered, "How else would I get in?"  
  
The former queen glared hatefully at the other girl, "Where's Catherine?"  
  
"Who?" Dorothy blinked feigning innocence. "I don't know any Catherine."  
  
"You didn't." Relena reeled back, horrified, "Bitch, how could you?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Miss Relena, but I have no idea of what you are talking about."  
  
Relena's body shook, as she fought off the urge to vomit, "Four people, Dorothy. /Four/."  
  
"Miss Relena, you don't look so well. Perhaps you should lie down and get some rest? I could summon the doctor for you?"  
  
"No." Relena gasped, her voice barely audible, "Leave.now."  
  
Dorothy turned to leave, "I was planning on dropping by to see Hiiro, Wu Fei and Trowa.I was wondering if you would like to join me, and extend you sympathies."  
  
"Extend my.sympathies." Relena couldn't believe what she was hearing, "Dorothy, you are the lowest of scum."  
  
The tall blonde acted hurt, "Oh, Miss Relena, you've hurt my feelings."  
  
Relena just gaped at her, words failing to come.  
  
"So you'll join me?" Dorothy quirked an eyebrow.  
  
"Yes." Relena swallowed, regaining some of her composure as a thought struck her, "I believe I will join you."  
  
"Good, I'll wait for you in front. I want to leave in the next ten minutes."  
  
Relena simply nodded. "I'll be there."  
  
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"Do you want me to come too?" Quatre asked as Trowa looked for his keys.  
  
"Yes, I do." The taller boy admitted, "But if you do, it's going to cause problems."  
  
"I guess." Quatre frowned, hugging himself.  
  
"Koi? What's wrong?" Trowa asked, wrapping his arms protectively around the boy.  
  
"What's not wrong, Trowa?" The blonde countered, "A close friend is dead- murdered, because three others go crazy.I don't.It's too much."  
  
"I know, koi."  
  
"I just wish everything was back the way it was."  
  
Trowa smiled and brushed away blonde bangs from aquamarine yes, "I wouldn't doubt it if we all wish for that." He kissed his koi on the forehead, "Why don't you give your friend a call?" He suggested, "I bet she could cheer you up."  
"I'd like that." Quatre sighed, "But Hiiro and Wu Fei both think that Dorothy will become more direct in her attacks. I'd really hate myself if I put Robin in danger." He walked over to the nightstand, and opened the drawer. Silently, the blonde tossed the other boy his keys. "You should get going, the lawyer isn't going to wait."  
  
"Right." Trowa nodded, gathering a folder that contained falsified birth certificates for all of them, and turning to leave. "You know, Quatre. Hiiro and Wu Fei have this place pretty secure. The phones were one of the first things check, I'm sure it's safe to call her."  
  
The blonde, looked down at his feet. "Maybe I will then."  
  
Trowa smiled and walked out of their room.  
  
"Trowa." Quatre called, stopping the boy.  
  
"Nani?" Trowa asked, reappearing in the doorway.  
  
"I love you."  
  
Trowa smiled, "I love you too, koi. Watch your back."  
  
"Back atcha'." Quatre smiled, before sitting in front of the Vid phone.  
  
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Wu Fei frowned at the security monitors. He was trying to figure out how the murderous women kept getting into the hanger. He had looked at this footage of tapes a year ago and hadn't found anything, and he doubted that he'd find something now.  
  
"Don't you think that maybe you disregarded them because of who they were?" Sally asked peering over his shoulder.  
  
"Aren't you supposed to be taking care of Maxwell?" Wu Fei scowled at the monitor. He wasn't in the mood for company.  
  
Sally laughed, "That boy is being taken care of just fine."  
  
"Yui?" The Chinese boy raised an eyebrow.  
  
The physician nodded, sitting in a near by chair, "Duo will be up and at his pranks before this week is over, I guarantee it."  
  
The boy snorted, "Whoopee."  
  
"Oh, come on. You were worried about him too." Sally teased, "It was all I could do to calm you when you phoned me of the emergency."  
  
"Onna, I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
"I'm sure." Sally smirked. "Would you like some help? Two people will get it done faster."  
  
"Sure." Wu Fei shrugged, "Why not?"  
  
Hours later, the Chinese boy shook Sally's shoulder, "Sally, wake up." He coaxed gently.  
  
"Hmmm?" She stirred groggily, "Chang? What is it?"  
  
"I found out how the got in." The boy pointed to the screen, "I can't believe I didn't notice it earlier." Wu Fei shook his head in self disgust.  
  
Sally blinked her eyes, and stretched, a yawn escaping her. "How?"  
  
"Look here." Wu Fei enlarged a portion of the screen, "These boxes here prevent the motion sensors from detecting what goes on in that part of the hanger, and they lead directly to the where the Gundams were kept." He turned the camera angle and enlarged a different section, "There's a vent here that is big enough for someone as small as Catherine to get through."  
  
"Why do you say Catherine? Isn't Relena smaller?" Sally asked.  
  
The Chinese boy nodded, "She is, but somehow, I don't think that neither the Vice Foreign Minister nor Dorothy would do the dirty work."  
  
"So it had to be Catherine. But what if you had the boxes pushed back to the wall, blocking the vent, or removed to allow motion detection? What would they have done then?"  
  
Wu Fei shrugged, "Dunno. I gotta show this to Hiiro and the others. Then I'm going to make sure it's handled promptly."  
  
Sally yawned and looked at her watch. "They're probably getting lunch ready. Trowa, I think, went to see a lawyer about Catherine. He won't be back till late this afternoon. I've signed the necessary orders, he and the lawyer will take care of the rest."  
  
"At least that is one part we can let the law handle. It might get ugly with the rest of 'em."  
  
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"Quatre?" The young woman's voice sounded happy but sad at the same time, "I didn't expect to hear from you so soon. Is everything alright?"  
  
The blonde boy sighed, rubbing his temples, "Yeah.well as well as can be expected, I guess.Everyone's changed so much. I guess.I needed someone to talk to."  
  
Robin smiled, "Quatre." She sighed. "Of course everything has changed, that's the way life is. You can't expect everything to freeze and remain as it was always."  
  
"I know."  
  
"They treating you alright?"  
  
"Of course! They are my family."  
  
"Speaking of family." Robin started, taking a sip from her tea that she held, "Have you called yours? The ones on L4?"  
  
Quatre frowned, "No."  
  
"Why not?" The girl also frowned, "Don't you think they'll be relieved that you're back?"  
  
"That's just it. I don't want to be back." The boy scowled, "They'll just want to keep me home to run the company. They wouldn't allow me to have a life."  
  
"QUATRE RABABA WINNER!" Robin glared angrily, "How can you say something like that about the people who love and adore you?"  
  
The blonde gaped at the woman who had snapped at him, "Wha.How.How dare you!" He seethed, trying to keep his temper under control, "What right do you have to talk about my family? What can you say from just watching the news? You don't know anything!"  
  
"I have every right that you do!" Robin snapped back, "Maybe even more so!" Her blue eyes looked as if they would erupt in tears at any moment, "Damn it, Quatre."  
  
He winced, his hand steeling to his chest. 'I hurt her. hurt her with my words, how could I have done that? I didn't mean to. It was like I was fighting with one of my.sisters.' Quatre gasped and looked at the woman on the screen, "Robin.?"  
  
"What?" she sniffled, wiping away her tears before they could fall.  
  
"Which one are you?" He demanded, his tone of voice losing it's bite, "Why didn't you tell me you were one of my sisters?"  
  
"I'm number 15." She glared, "And I didn't think it mattered."  
  
"I'm sorry; I didn't know." Quatre bowed his head. "I didn't mean to hurt you."  
  
"I know, Little Brother." Robin offered a small smile, "To be honest, I didn't recognize you until you told me your name. You see, the only picture of you that I own was one taken when you were only a few months old."  
  
"I don't think that I'd be able to remember all of my sisters' names, even if I saw them every day." Quatre sighed, "I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't be, it really is okay. I shouldn't have gotten angry." She sighed, "Iria and the others can be quite demanding."  
  
"I just got this life back. I don't want to lose it again."  
  
"I believe that Iria would understand that." Robin smiled, "But I do believe that allowing them to grieve for you when you are not dead is not fair at all."  
  
"You're right of course." Quatre nodded.  
  
"If you would like, I can arrange a visit with Iria for myself and tell her I'm bringing two friends." She smiled, "That way it'd be a surprise, and they wouldn't have time to make any arrangements before your arrival."  
  
"Two friends?" Quatre raised an eyebrow.  
  
Robin smirked, "Somehow, I doubt your Trowa to let you go by yourself."  
  
The boy smiled, "No, I supposed he wouldn't."  
  
"I'll take care of everything, Little Brother." Robin assured, "And if they do overreact, just tell them what you want. You've been living up to everyone else's demands, orders and expectations. It's time for you to have a life of your own."  
  
"You think so?"  
  
"I know so."  
  
Quatre smiled, "Okay, when where you thinking?"  
  
"How about next week?"  
  
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To be continued. 


	20. Sandrock was no more Chapter nineteen

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Chapter nineteen  
  
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Quatre was alone in the library reading when a servant knocked on the door and approached him.  
  
"Excuse me, Quatre-sama." He bowed slightly, "There is a young woman here to see Trowa-sama, but he is unavailable at the moment. Should I show her in?"  
  
The small blonde looked up, "Oh, sure." He said in a quiet voice, closing his book and placing it on the side table.  
  
The servant bowed stiffly before ushering in a tall young woman with long blonde hair and the freakiest eyebrows Quatre had ever seen, "Dorothy." He acknowledged coldly.  
  
"Quatre Rababa Winner." She smirked, "I see you are doing well."  
  
The smaller teenager stood, his body tense. "Trowa is not going to like you being here." He warned, "What do you want, Dorothy?"  
  
The girl huffed, "I don't recall you ever being so rude before." She strolled over to the large bay windows peering outside, "I suppose that's what a life without luxury will do to you though."  
  
"You haven't answered my question, Dorothy." The blonde pressed.  
  
Dorothy turned and walked over to the fire place, admiring the pair of fencing swords that hung above it. Quatre could feel his skin crawl. "How long has it been since our last duel?"  
  
"Not long enough." The boy grumbled. Dorothy gave him a sharp glance.  
  
"How is it that no matter what happens to you Gundam pilots, you never die?" she wondered almost innocently.  
  
"What?" Quatre demanded, honestly confused.  
  
The devilish blonde reached up and took one of the swords, "You can be shot, blown up, stabbed, beaten, taken prisoner, jump out of a twenty story building over a cliff, sink and God knows what else and still be alive. How?" She advanced toward the other blonde, holding her sword on guard.  
  
"I. I. I don't know what you're talking about." Quatre stuttered backing away, stumbling over the side table.  
  
"Of course you do." She accused, "How could you not?"  
  
"Dorothy, listen to me!" He begged, as she took a swing at him, "Don't do this!"  
  
"Quatre Rababa Winner, I see that you are still as kind as ever. I challenge you to a fight!" She swung at him again, "A fight in which one of us shall die."  
  
"Dorothy." Quatre warned narrowly missing being sliced. He rolled across the floor till he was in front of the fire place. He reached up and grabbed the other sword, twisting just in time to parry an attack aimed for his heart.  
  
The girl glared evilly at him, "I'm going to cut you to little pieces so that there is no way for you to come back to life."  
  
Her onslaught was vicious. There were no merciful possibilities for him as he tried to defend himself, "Dorothy, please!" He pleaded blocking another attack, "There is no reason for this!"  
  
"Defending will not defeat me." She warned, "If you do not defeat me, I will kill you." She lunged forward, catching his arm with the tip of her sword digging a deep gouge.  
  
The boy fell back, gripping his arm. "Why? Why do you insist we go through this? I thought we had settled this already."  
  
"This will never be settled until one of us is dead." Dorothy coldly informed him. "And I fully plan on it not being ME!" She attacked again forcing the boy to roll out of the way and back onto his feet. "In this time after war, people such as ourselves have become unnecessary." She began. "The kindness we feel is generated by everyone around us."  
  
"Then we should be able to live peaceably with everyone!" Quatre countered, parrying her next attack.  
  
"But the world's kindness is false!" Dorothy insisted, "We need a new war to show them the true meaning of kindness."  
  
"Dorothy, that's just crazy!" Quatre glared, "We live in this world because the people have learned what kindness is and how they should use it to live with each other peaceably! The time for war is over!"  
  
"Is that why you kept the Gundams?" She sneered attacking him again.  
  
"What?" Quatre frowned, "NO! We kept the Gundams so that we may preserve this era and protect it from people like you!" He lunged forward. With a swift twist of his wrist he caught her sword wrenching from her. He then moved his blade point to her throat. "People who want nothing but endless fighting and bloodshed."  
  
Dorothy frowned at this turn of events, "You've improved." She noted. "Now kill me, or I will come back again and again until one of us is dead."  
  
The blonde boy just stared at her.  
  
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Relena wondered around the estate, looking for Hiiro. 'Quatre always did know how to live it up in style.' She thought to herself, admiring the view and furnishings.  
  
"Relena." A cold stoic voice addressed.  
  
The girl stopped not turning around, "Hello, Hiiro." She said quietly, "Are you going to kill me?"  
  
The Japanese boy just stared at the back of her head. In fact he did have his gun leveled to it from where he stood several feet away.  
  
The girl turned, head bowed, "I'm sorry, Hiiro." She said sorrowfully, "I know what I did was wrong, and that you are going to kill me for it, but I." She choked, and looked up desperately at him. Pain, remorse, envy, these things radiated from her tearing eyes. "I only meant the best, Hiiro." She said lamely, "I wanted to free you and the others from your. bloody responsibilities. I never meant for any of you to be hurt. I just wanted the Gundams to be." She stopped unable to continue. "I'm so sorry, Hiiro." She whispered miserably.  
  
"Relena." Hiiro said quietly. The girl stared into the barrel of his hand gun, tears streaming down her face.  
  
"It's okay, Hiiro." She whispered, a small smile on her lips, "Go ahead and kill me."  
  
"Omeo koruso." He said lowering his eyes as he squeezed the trigger.  
  
"Arigato, Hiiro, Arigato." She whispered.  
  
A deep weight filled his chest as the sound of her dead body thudded to the floor, its crimson life force spreading and seeping into the fibers of the carpet. He found that he was unable to look at the one he had once considered friend. "Gomenasai, Relena." He whispered, a single tear slipping down his emotionless mask.  
  
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Quatre's body shook with each ragged breath he forced into his lungs. Sweat was dripping from his forehead. His arm was drenched in blood. His sword at the throat of Dorothy Catalonia. The blonde haired woman was taunting him into ending her life with promises of returning until he did. She looked so hateful and yet pitiful at the same time.  
  
"I swear, Quatre Rababa Winner, if you don't end this now, I'll never go away!" She was near hysterics. "I'll make sure that what happened to Hilde will happen to all of your sisters and your friends! There will be little black boxes following you till the end of your life!"  
  
Quatre's aquamarine eyes narrowed and swirled with darkness close to hatred. He raised his arm as if to strike, watching as the crazy woman brace herself for a violent death. With a sigh he turned and walked away throwing his sword aside, "It's over, Dorothy."  
  
"DAMN YOU!" she shrieked pulling a gun from behind her back, taking aim at the retreating blonde's back "THIS IS NOT OVER!"  
  
"Don't even think about it." A cold voice threatened, coming out of the shadows. A cold hardness was pressed to the back of her skull, and Dorothy visibly stiffened. "He may have the heart to spare you're sorry life, but I'm not him."  
  
Dorothy smirked and lowered her weapon, dropping it to the floor, "Duo Maxwell." She addressed smugly, "Did you find out what death felt like? Are you going to tell me about it?"  
  
Duo's violet eyes narrowed angrily, "Why don't you find out first hand!" He shouted as he squeezed the trigger, blowing her brains through the front of her head, "See you in Hell, Bitch." He said as her body fell forward, landing in her own brain matter and blood.  
  
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Trowa stared at the admissions form he was asked to sign. It would make it so that Catherine would be in the mental hospital until she was deemed no longer a threat. 'Why couldn't you just leave me alone?' He wondered as he scribbled his name across the paper. 'None of this would have happened.'  
  
"TRITON!" A high pitched woman shrieked, "YOU'RE HOME! YOU'RE FINALLY HOME!"  
  
The banged one glared in the direction of the ranting as the orderlies fought to restrain his sister. He bowed his head and turned away, "My name is Trowa." He mumbled, leaving the hospital, "And you are not my sister."  
  
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Owa`ri  
  
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End file.
